The Future is Now: Meet the Speakers
Looking for inspiration? Hope? Energy? Start your new year off with vision, clarity and community. Join Public Media for All for our 6th annual Day of Action & Education webinar. We're thrilled to announce that the following have leaders from a range of organizations and backgrounds will be sharing their visions for a better public media and the practices they're putting in place now to get us there now.
Jim Rademaker
Jim Rademaker has been the General Manager of WGVU Public Media since August 2021. Prior to that he was General Manager of WCMU Public Media at Central Michigan University. He currently serves as the President of the Michigan Association for Public Broadcasters, Chair of the Joint Licensee Affinity Group Coalition (PBS org), and as Vice Chair of the Affinity Group Coalition.
Jim Rademaker returned to WGVU as General Manager at WGVU Public Media in Grand Rapids, Michigan in August of 2021. His public media career began as a volunteer for WGVU in 2001 as a volunteer auctioneer and on air membership drive host. In 2002 he formally began his public media career as an underwriting representative and worked his way up through the ranks to become Development Manager. In 2016 he left WGVU to become Assistant General Manager and Director of Development and then General Manager at WCMU Public Media. Jim previously served on the PBS Development Advisory Committee the final 2 years as its chair. As well as served on the executive board of the Small Station Association and various NETA committees. Locally he currently serves on the board of the Rotary Club of Grand Rapids and Scouting USA. He has previously served as a board member for the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, Grand Rapids Civic Theater. His three main passions in public media are; to build WGVU into an organization of impact that goes beyond broadcasting to be a trusted partner with the community where all voices can be heard and people feel they belong; build empowered teams that are solution oriented; and build systems that ensure new generations of talent coming into the system can thrive and we can learn from each other.
Lorena Aguayo-Márquez
Lorena Aguayo-Márquez is the Community Impact Manager at WGVU Public Media and the station’s first Latina leader. A connector, strategist, and storyteller at heart, she brings more than 20 years of experience in community engagement, education, and workforce development. Rooted in storytelling and equity, Lorena leads with purpose, advancing equity, uplifting underrepresented voices, and creating spaces where people feel seen, valued, and empowered to thrive.
Daniel Cardenas
As the inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Daniel Cardenas (he/him) serves as the main advocate for KPBS’ diversity vision, initiatives, action plan and strategic goals. He serves as a key collaborator between San Diego State University, the San Diego State University Research Foundation, and KPBS. For the past two years, he has been the subject-matter expert and champion for diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging at the station.
Prior to KPBS, Daniel spent over a decade creating equitable education and work environments on university campuses. This includes UC San Diego, UC Davis, as well as Oregon State University where he led recruitment, retention, and culturally affirming programming for students, faculty, and staff. Daniel earned a Master of Education from Oregon State University and his bachelor’s from Sonoma State University.
Daniel is a father, partner, and poet. When not working, he can be found at the park, riding bikes, hiking with his family, or taking in San Diego’s art and hip hop scene.
Ashley Alvarado
Ashley Alvarado became president and CEO of Texas Public Radio in December 2024, bringing with her two decades of experience in journalism. Her career spans major organizations like the LA Times, the Center for Investigative Reporting, and LAist (Southern California Public Radio), where she long championed engaged journalism.
At LAist, Ashley led community engagement efforts for a dozen years, working on everything from live events to art installations and answering thousands of community members’ questions. She played a key role in the development of the organization’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. She also oversaw teams focused on audience engagement and news experimentation.
Ashley is an award-winning journalist and experienced newsroom coach, having worked with Blue Engine, Poynter, and the American Press Institute. She has also contributed to leadership programs with the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Asian American Journalists Association. A former president of Journalism That Matters, Ashley currently serves on the boards of the Online News Association, Greater Public, and the First Amendment Coalition, and is a member of Poynter’s National Advisory Board.
Kenya Young
Kenya Young serves as President and CEO of Louisville Public Media, where she leads the organization's strategic vision, operations, and community impact across all platforms and services.
With nearly two decades in public media, Kenya brings proven success driving organizational excellence, sustainable growth, and civic engagement through innovative content and impactful partnerships. She oversees Louisville Public Media's multi-platform content strategy, financial operations, and community engagement initiatives while championing a diversity of perspectives and journalistic excellence.
Prior to joining LPM, Kenya served as Senior Vice President at New York Public Radio, where she led strategic planning across multiple divisions, overseeing podcast studios, programming, digital platforms, live events, and audience development while securing major philanthropic investments.
Kenya previously spent 15 years at NPR, where she held several newsroom leadership roles including Managing Editor and Executive Producer. She led NPR's flagship news programs and podcasts including Morning Edition, Up First and All Things Considered, maintaining top national rankings. She was instrumental in developing groundbreaking collaborations connecting public media stations nationwide.
Throughout her career, Kenya has specialized in creating inclusive cultures that celebrate excellence, strengthening community bonds, and positioning media organizations as essential platforms for dialogue and engagement. She is a recipient of several industry honors including Peabody, Society of Professional Journalists, Edward R. Murrow and National Association of Broadcasters awards.
Kenya holds a B.A. in American Studies with a minor in Journalism from the University of Notre Dame. She is married to visual artist J. Everett Young, has three sons and lives in Louisville, Kentucky.
