Libby Hlavka: A listening companion turns toward future-proofing MPR

Sep 22, 2025

Libby Hlavka did not start out a public radio listener. “My parents listened to WCCO radio during my childhood. I was in college, driving in an unfamiliar city in the rain, when I discovered Car Talk (the popular show from NPR) and thought, what a wonderful companion. When I moved to California to be with my husband, I joined him in listening all weekend to public radio. Then I was on bedrest during my pregnancies—weeks and weeks of it. All the while public radio was there, a constant for me.”

She moved back to Minnesota with her family after being away for more than 25 years. “Listening to Cathy Wurzer and Kerri Miller reintroduced me to the state. I was pregnant with our third child, and my husband, Ed, was very busy working for a medical device start-up. MPR got me grounded in the community, which had changed so much since I moved away.”

Libby realized that settling her family in Minnesota and taking care of her aging parents meant she needed a more flexible work life. “I was fortunate to be able to volunteer, to serve on nonprofit boards. My first board was Franconia Sculpture Park. Then College Possible. My father had Parkinson's, and I needed to spend more time with him and my mother. Engaging with these community groups meant working with really smart and passionate people on important issues. It was a great way to make new connections.”

When she was asked to serve on the MPR|APM board, Libby was thrilled, but didn’t yet grasp the full scope of the organization. “Coming back here I really had not understood just how remarkable MPR is. When I was listening to The Splendid Table back in California, I didn’t realize it was coming from MPR. I didn’t know about the connection with Marketplace and LAist. We have a remarkable national, even international reach.”

She was delighted to apply her experience gained running the entrepreneurial studies program at Stanford Business School. “I co-chair the Advisory Board of the Glen Nelson Center, which is the innovation arm of MPR|APM. By investing in and partnering with new media startups, the Center infuses youthful creative energy into the organization. It is a great way to future-proof the organization.”

Libby is also co-chairing MPR’s comprehensive capital campaign. “Ed and I are stretching to make a gift that feels really significant, as well as contributing our time. The future of public media has never been more important, and this campaign is raising funds and broadening the MPR|APM circle of supporters at a pivotal moment.”

“We chose to make our gift where it is needed most. For my first planned gift, I decided to designate a portion of my IRA. With this commitment, I’ll be connected to MPR for the rest of my life, and after I’m gone. It was easy to set up, and I like encouraging others to give in the same way, to make a planned gift in addition to their membership and campaign giving. I love knowing my gift will help sustain the organization into the future.”

In the face of the elimination of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the MPR leadership team is also working to help the rest of the public media system survive. “I am inspired by Jean Taylor and her leadership team. They are incredibly dedicated to serving this community and ensuring the health of small public radio stations across the country. It is such an honor to support this organization.” Libby will start her term as board chair in the fall of 2025.