Minnesota Public Radio elects Sarah Karon and Dr. Brian Harrison to Board of Trustees
Jun 17, 2025
ST. PAUL, Minn., June 17, 2025 – The Board of Trustees of Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) has welcomed two new members. Sarah Karon, board president of the Library Foundation for Sarasota County and District 5 Town Commissioner in Longboat Key Fla., and Dr. Brian Harrison, political scientist and author, were recently elected to the board.
“We’re delighted to welcome Sarah and Brian to the MPR Board of Trustees,” said Jean Taylor, CEO of Minnesota Public Radio. “Both of these new Trustees have great passion for service to their communities and are huge fans of public media. At the same time, they will each bring incredible expertise, perspective, and a track record of success in their own right in the areas of philanthropy and inclusion, respectively. Their presence and engagement will make an already strong board even stronger.”
Sarah Karon currently serves as board president for the Library Foundation for Sarasota County as well as District 5 Town Commissioner in Longboat Key, Fla.
A former journalist, Karon has since dedicated her time to volunteer work for a variety of causes and brings over three decades of experience in community outreach, fundraising, grant making and nonprofit leadership.
Karon's previous board experience includes the advisory board for WUSF public media in Tampa, Fla., the WCA Foundation in Minneapolis, St. Paul Academy and Summit School in St. Paul, Minn., and World Without Genocide in St. Paul, Minn.
Karon holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa and an MFA from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn.
“I am a fortunate person to have lived my whole life in towns and cities that were inhabited warmly and wisely by public radio stations,” said Karon. “My background in traditional journalism makes me value public radio all the more for its excellent standards and commitment to the profession. Public radio is a critical component of our nation’s democracy, convening our communities via the airwaves to keep us informed, engaged, and entertained. I am inspired and honored to play a role in supporting its mission.”
Brian Harrison (Ph.D. Northwestern University) is a political scientist, author, political campaign and communication consultant, and real estate developer. His research and academic specialties are in American politics, public opinion, political communication and political behavior, and LGBTQ+ rights. Harrison’s education includes a bachelor’s degree in government and English and literary history from Georgetown University; a master's degree in communication, public relations & advertising from DePaul University; and a master’s degree and doctorate in political science from Northwestern University.
Harrison most recently taught at the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. His prior affiliations include Carleton College, Northwestern, Yale, NYU, and Wesleyan Universities. He has published 4 books, including 3 with Oxford University Press: A Change is Gonna Come: How to Have Effective Political Conversations in a Divided America (2020); Transforming Prejudice: Identity, Fear, and Transgender Rights (2020); and Listen, We Need to Talk: How to Change Attitudes about LGBT Rights (2017).
Harrison also founded and runs a real estate development company and a nonprofit organization. Prior to academia, he was a White House appointee for the Department of Homeland Security. Harrison lives in the Twin Cities metro area with his family.
“An informed American public has never been more vital to our country than it is now,” Harrison said. “MPR’s vision of ‘a connected America fueled by trust and understanding’ underscores the indispensable role public media plays in cultivating knowledgeable, thoughtful citizens. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to its continued success.”
For more information about MPR and its board of trustees, visit www.mpr.org.
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About Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR®) operates a 45-station radio network serving almost all of Minnesota and parts of surrounding states for more than 50 years. MPR reaches over 800,000 weekly listeners. MPR and its three regional services—MPR News, YourClassical MPR and The Current®—produce programming for radio, digital and live audiences. Programs produced by MPR’s national programming division, American Public Media® (APM), reaches nearly 15 million listeners across 1,000 public radio stations. APM is one of the largest producers and distributors of public radio programming in the world. For more information on MPR, visit mpr.org.
Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio, PSA and PPM data, P12+, Mon- Sun 6a-12m, Fall ‘23 + Spring ‘24.