Southern California Public Radio’s Ashley Alvarado is headed to the Lone Star State to serve as the next President and CEO of Texas Public Radio. Alvarado currently serves as Vice President of Community Engagement and Strategic Initiatives at LAist (KPCC).
Alvarado was selected following a national executive search to find a successor for Joyce Slocum, who passed away in March after a long illness. She will officially assume the lead role at TPR in December. The search was conducted in partnership with Iris Dayton-Spann of Stanton Chase.
During the transition, Rebecca Caven, TPR’s vice president of development and membership, has been serving as interim president and CEO, overseeing operations and the organization’s strategic planning efforts.
Alvarado is an award-winning journalist with a background that includes editorial roles at the Center for Investigative Reporting and serving as a coach and mentor for multiple journalism organizations such as Blue Engine, Poynter, and the American Press Institute. She has also been actively involved in leadership programs for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association.
During her tenure at LAist, Alvarado led efforts in community engagement and managed multiple strategic initiatives, including the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. She played a key role in LAist’s digital transformation and has overseen various budgets and grant portfolios.
Texas Public Radio operates seven signals around San Antonio and South Central Texas.
TPR Board Chair Lori Castillo commented, “A true innovator, Ashley is among the most experienced and respected executives working in public media today. Her lifelong passion for journalism together with her impressive track record of transformational leadership make us confident that Ashley is the right leader to move TPR into the future and transform how we engage existing and new audiences.”
Ashley Alvarado stated, “From my first interaction, I’ve been impressed with the team at Texas Public Radio. Here is an organization that is thinking about what it needs to serve its audiences now and into the future. That means impeccable journalism that reflects and engages the people who make up San Antonio and meets them where they are: on-air, online, and in person.”
“It means taking the work seriously but also having fun and boldly representing what makes San Antonio such a special place. I want to thank the TPR board for this opportunity to support and grow alongside the team that makes up Texas Public Radio.”