Laura R. Walker
President & CEO
WNYC, New York Public Radio

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Laura R. Walker is president and chief executive officer of New York Public Radio. WNYC Radio is the largest public radio station in the country and number one station in Manhattan. It produces more than 125 hours of news, music, and cultural programs each week, which are heard by more than 1.1 million people in New York and millions more nationwide on public radio stations and via the internet.

Ms. Walker led the transformation of the stations from a city-owned agency to an independent, award-winning nonprofit with a dedicated board of trustees. Under her direction, WNYC Radio raised the $20 million necessary to purchase its licenses from the former owner, the City of New York, in 1997.

WNYC is currently engaged in a $57.5 million capital campaign to finance the station’s move to new headquarters at 160 Varick Street in spring 2008 and to fund new programming initiatives.

Ms. Walker has spearheaded many new programming initiatives, including the expansion of WNYC’s news and documentary units, the extension of live music programming, the introduction of American standards host Jonathan Schwartz, and the creation of new national programs Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen, The Next Big Thing, and Radio Lab. Under her leadership, the national program On the Media was successfully re-launched, and went on to win, along with Studio 360 and Radio Rookies (WNYC’s youth journalism program), a Peabody Award, broadcasting’s most prestigious honor.

A new national morning drive-time news program, produced by WNYC, will launch in the spring 2008. The program is a partnership with Public Radio International, the program’s editorial collaboration with the BBC, the New York Times, and WGBH Boston. In addition, WNYC has been a pioneer in webcasting and podcasting through WNYC.org.

Ms. Walker has been honored with Public Radio International’s Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and a Distinguished Alumna Award from Wesleyan University.

In October 2007, Walker was chosen for Crain’s New York’s special feature on "the 100 Most Influential Women in NYC Business," and was one of New York Moves "Power Women" in 2006.

Ms. Walker began her professional career as a journalist and producer at National Public Radio, where she received a prestigious Peabody Award for Broadcast Excellence. In 1983 she joined the staff of Carnegie Hall where she launched the award-winning series AT&T Presents Carnegie Hall Tonight. She joined the Sesame Workshop (formerly Children’s Television Workshop) in 1987, where for eight years she worked on programming and development initiatives, and led the organization’s efforts to establish a cable television channel (now Noggin). In addition to the WNYC board of trustees, Ms. Walker sits on the Board of Advisors for the Yale School of Management and the Yale Center for Customer Insights, as well as the board of directors for Public Radio International, the Educational Development Center, and Saint Ann’s School.

Ms. Walker holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in history from Wesleyan University. She resides in Brooklyn Heights with her husband, Bert Wells, and their son and daughter.