American Public Media Group has hired Duchesne Drew as president of Minnesota Public Radio.
Drew will be the first permanent hire for the role since APMG restructured in November to create three distinct divisions within the organization: MPR, American Public Media and Southern California Public Radio. Tim Roesler, APMG’s chief business development officer, has been in the role on an interim basis.
As president of MPR, Drew will lead strategy, programming and daily operations at MPR News, Classical MPR and The Current.
“Minnesotans are relying on MPR now more than ever,” Drew said in a press release. “Our music and news services are proving their importance in people’s lives. I’m honored to lead these talented teams and I look forward to helping us serve even more Minnesotans.”
Drew, who starts in the role May 4, comes to MPR from the Bush Foundation, where he is Community Network VP and oversees three teams. He has a background in journalism, having worked at the Star Tribune in Minneapolis as managing editor of operations. Earlier in his career, he was a reporter for the Dallas Morning News and the Star Tribune.
“Duchesne is absolutely the right leader for our regional services — especially during this extraordinary time,” said Jon McTaggart, CEO of APMG and MPR, in the release. “He has terrific leadership and news experience, and his commitment to using public media to inform and inspire people is a perfect fit for MPR. Duchesne has a wonderful ability to connect with people and welcome new ideas. He brings passion and curiosity about how MPR can serve our audiences even better.”