Community Advisory Councils

Minnesota Public Radio invites the public to its Twin Cities Community Advisory Council and its various Regional Development Advisory Council meetings.

These councils advise the Board of Trustees on the needs of the diverse communities MPR serves and meet in the spring and fall.

Twin Cities Community Advisory Council

The public is invited to Twin Cities Community Advisory Council meetings about MPR stations KNOW, KSJN and KCMP.

The Spring 2025 meeting will be held on Thursday, April 17, 2025, at 5:30 PM at the Kling Public Media Center, 480 Cedar Street, St. Paul, MN 55101.

For more information, contact Anissa Rogness at arogness@americanpublicmedia.org

Current Members include:

  • Matthew Koncar

  • Clint Allen

  • Julie Zhou

  • Mia McGill

  • Alexandra Meyer

  • Daniel Turner

  • Debra Kwong

  • Kathleen Klumb

  • Ryanna Jackson

  • Barry Hamill

  • Corey Kobbervig

  • Amintha Ratnayake

  • Amira Warren-Yearby

  • Elise Gumm

  • Ashley Brennan

  • Luna Allen-Bakerian

  • Cassandra Fenelon

  • Joseph Kraninger

  • Marquan Harper

  • Rebecca Smith

  • Melitta Dreschler

  • Moira Epel

  • Christine Hazuka

  • Marty Harding

  • Ryan Schafer

  • Ruhama Solomon

Interested in serving on the Twin Cities Community Advisory Council?

Are you an avid listener to The Current, MPR News, or Your Classical MPR?  Then MPR wants you.

The Twin Cities Community Advisory Council (TC-CAC), for KSJN/KNOW/KCMP, is seeking to fill open membership positions. This opportunity is for Twin Cities Metro residents. Regional councils will be seeking applicants at a later date. The TC-CAC reviews the programming goals established by the station, the service provided by the station, and the significant policy decisions rendered by the station. They also make recommendations on how programming can better serve the Twin Cities community.

Regional Development Advisory Councils

Minnesota Public Radio has five regional advisory councils to advise the Board of Trustees on various programming issues and concerns in greater Minnesota.

These councils advise the Board of Trustees on the needs of the diverse communities MPR serves. Meetings are held in the spring and fall. The public is invited to these annual meetings.

The Bemidji Regional Development Advisory Council is comprised of members from the north-central Minnesota listening area and includes the stations KBPR, KBPN, KCRB, KNBJ, KGRP, and KITF. The Spring annual meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 22, at 3:30 p.m. at the Watermark Art Center, 505 Bemidji Ave. N, Bemidji, MN. The public is invited to attend these meetings. For more information, please contact Maria Isley at 218-673-5005 or by e-mail to misley@mpr.org.

Members include:

  • Scott Merschman, Chair

  • Kari Knudson, Vice Chair

  • Annette Johnson, Secretary

  • Lara Gerhardson

  • Kathryn Gonzalez

  • Megan Hill

  • Michael Hopps

  • Ketmani Kouanchao

  • Karl Mork

  • Joe Phelps

  • Kim Slipy

The Duluth Regional Development Council is comprised of members from the northeastern Minnesota and Houghton, MI listening area and includes the stations WSCD, WSCN, WIRC, WIRR, WIRN, WGRH, WINH, WMLS, WLSN, KZIO, and WGGL. The Spring annual meeting will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. at the Zeitgeist, 222 E. Superior Street, Duluth, MN. The public is invited to attend these meetings. For more information about this meeting, please contact Maria Isley at 218-673-5005 or by e-mail to misley@mpr.org.

Members include:

  • Karin Kraemer, Vice Chair

  • Carl Crawford, Secretary

  • Gia Bellamy

  • Kristin Ferrier

  • Jen Dietrich

  • Robert Franseen

  • Tom Hanson

  • Cameron Kruger

  • Cathy Nevanen

  • Brandon Smith

  • Candice Winkler

  • Barbara McDonald, Ex-Officio (College of St. Scholastica Educational Sponsor Representative)

  • Kyle Marxhausen (College of St. Scholastica Educational Sponsor Representative)

The Moorhead Regional Development Advisory Council is comprised of members from the northwestern Minnesota listening area and includes the stations KCCM, KCCD, KQMN, KNTN, KRXW, KCMF, and KNWF. The Spring annual meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at noon at the Hjemkomst Center, 202 1st Ave. N, Moorhead, MN. The public is invited to attend these meetings. For more information, please contact Maria Isley at 218-673-5005 or by e-mail to misley@mpr.org.

Members include:

  • Marc Zielinski, Chair

  • Dan Svedarsky, Vice Chair

  • Lisa Cook, Secretary

  • Shanti Behrens

  • George Connell

  • Oscar Flores

  • Laetitia Hellerud

  • Shannon Jesme

  • Rebecca Michael

  • Cady Rutter

  • Cynthia Shabb

  • Peter Schott

  • Suzanne Senske

  • Tyler Wottrich

The St. Cloud Regional Development Council is comprised of members from the central and southwestern Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota listening areas. It includes the stations KSJR, KNSR, KRSU, KNCM, KRSW, and KRSD. The Spring annual meeting will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the St. Cloud Public Library, Bremer Room, 1300 W. St. Germain, St. Cloud, MN. The public is invited to attend these meetings. For more information about this meeting, please contact Kay Hocker at 507-292-8636 or by e-mail to khocker@mpr.org.

Members include:

  • Icephine Johnson, Chair

  • Michael Hemmesch, Vice Chair

  • Susie Osaki Holm, Secretary

  • Jen Davis Windsperger

  • David DeBlieck

  • Dana Drazenovich

  • Abdi Ibrahim

  • Lacey Lokken

  • Mateo Mackbee

  • Ayan Omar

  • Monica Segura-Schwartz

  • Purva Watten

The Rochester Regional Development Council is comprised of members from the southeastern Minnesota and northeast Iowa listening areas. It includes the stations KLSE, KZSE, KMSE, KLNI, KLCD, KGAC, KNGA, and KNSE. The Spring annual meeting will be held on Thursday, March 27, 2025, at 11:30 a.m. at the Quarry Hill Nature Center, Savannah Room, 701 Silver Creek Road NE, Rochester, MN. The public is invited to attend these meetings. For more information about this meeting, please contact Kay Hocker at 507-292-8636 or by e-mail to khocker@mpr.org.

Members include:

  • William (Bill) Wimsett, Chair

  • Al Lun, Vice Chair

  • Amanda Ness, Secretary

  • Mitch Stevenson

  • Aaron Benike

  • Anthony Cook

  • Jolene Hansen

  • Anantha Kollengode

  • Chuck Lantz

  • Dave Legler

  • Robin Otte

  • Ken Prichett

  • Natalie Siderius

  • Miguel Valdez-Soto

  • Juan Vasquez

  • Lou Wagner