How I Got Here
Finding your path in public media
Join us for candid conversations with public media professionals who've taken diverse paths to reach where they are today.
Each session pairs voices from different career stages to share real stories about challenges, breakthroughs, and the power of networking, mentorship, and self-advocacy in career growth.
MARIANA DALE
SENIOR K-12 EDUCATION REPORTER
LAist
Mariana Dale is a senior K-12 education reporter at LAist, an NPR affiliate and independent non-profit newsroom in Southern California. She champions projects rooted in deep community engagement— most recently, a series of guides to navigating Los Angeles public schools. Her stories appear online, on the radio, social platforms, in podcasts and have been picked up for national broadcast by NPR, Marketplace and Here & Now. She previously reported for newspapers and public media newsrooms in Arizona. She's won local and national awards for her work, including a National Edward R. Murrow award for continuing coverage of Arizona's 2018 teacher strike. She mentors up-and-coming journalists through Next Gen Radio and is a frequent career day speaker at local schools.
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER
- How to build a beat through deep community engagement — from creating practical guides for families navigating school systems to championing projects that center community needs and voices
- What it takes to tell education stories across multiple platforms — and how to adapt your reporting for radio, podcasts, social media, and national broadcast while maintaining local impact
- How to leverage mentorship and community connection to grow your career — from winning awards for coverage like teacher strikes to speaking at career days and mentoring the next generation of journalists
KYRA MILES
EARLY EDUCATION REPORTER
MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO
Kyra Miles is an award-winning education journalist originally from North Carolina. She started her career in public radio at WBHM in Birmingham, Alabama where she was named 2023 Reporter of the Year from the Alabama Broadcasters Association. Kyra is excited to be the early childhood reporter at Minnesota Public Radio and is looking forward to telling dynamic ECE stories through a lens of equity and solutions.
DAWNTHEA PRICE LISCO
MANAGING EDITOR
VPM NEWS
Dawnthea M. Price Lisco is the managing editor at VPM News, Virginia's home for public media. Previously, she worked at CNET, Guns & America, WAMU/DCist, Slate, Mic and The Free Lance–Star. DMPL lives in Richmond with her family — and plays a lot of video games.
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER
- How to build a versatile journalism career across platforms and organizations — from local newspapers to national digital media to public radio leadership, and what each step teaches you
- What it takes to transition into newsroom management and how to develop workflows that help journalists grow while rebuilding public trust through service journalism
- How to leverage your unique background and values — whether as a first-generation college student or a gaming enthusiast — to bring fresh perspectives to your journalism and connect with diverse communities
MIA CASAS
REPORTER
KUNM
Mia Casas is a first-generation Mexican-American woman and also the first in her family to attend college. Growing up in New Mexico, she was surrounded by diverse cultures that have shaped her identity. She cherishes the art of storytelling and began her journey with NPR member station, KUNM radio, in June 2023. Casas has developed a passion for audio journalism, appreciating its detail-oriented nature and its ability to reach various communities.
ASHLEY ALVARADO
PRESIDENT & CEO
TEXAS PUBLIC RADIO
Ashley Alvarado is president and CEO of Texas Public Radio. Alvarado has dedicated much of her career to advancing the practice of engaged journalism. She's a board member with the Online News Association, Greater Public, and the First Amendment Coalition. She also recently served on the Poynter Institute's national advisory board.
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER
- How to transition from content creation to strategic leadership and navigate the steps from editor to manager to CEO
- Why building deep community connections can become your distinctive path to executive roles
- How to recognize which experiences and roles will position you for the leadership opportunities you want
PAOLA RODRIGUEZ
ENGAGEMENT PRODUCER
ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO
Paola Rodriguez is the engagement producer at St. Louis Public Radio. Prior, she was a reporter and producer at Arizona Public Media. In Tucson, Rodriguez reported on issues like how uranium mining poisoned tribal drinking water and Arizona's fight to block a civil war era abortion ban.
XIMENA BUSTILLO
POLITICAL REPORTER
NPR
Ximena Bustillo is a multi-platform reporter at NPR covering politics out of the White House, Congress, New York. Before that, she was an award-winning food and agriculture policy reporter and newsletter author at POLITICO covering immigration, climate, and labor. She got her start at the Idaho Statesman where she helped spearhead the state's Spanish-language coronavirus news coverage.
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER
- How to navigate beat transitions and build expertise across different coverage areas
- What it's like to move from local to national coverage and how to position yourself for opportunities at network level
- How to leverage your unique background and skills to stand out and advance your career
OWEN HENDERSON
REPORTER/ ME HOST
SPOKANE PUBLIC RADIO
Owen Henderson is the local Morning Edition host and a journalist for Spokane Public Radio. Previously, he was the arts/LGBTQ+ issues reporter and Weekend Edition host for Illinois Public Media News. He graduated in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and Theatre.
PRISKA NEELY
TRAINING MANAGER
REPORT FOR AMERICA
Priska Neely is a PMJA board member and training manager for Report for America. She was the founding managing editor of the Gulf States Newsroom and was named PMJA's 2022 Editor of the Year. She's also worked at Reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting and KPCC in Los Angeles, where she reported on maternal and infant mortality in the Black community.
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER
- What types of unconventional roles are out there and how to find the one that's right for you
- How to step into a position that's brand new and navigate the challenges of creating something from scratch
- How new efforts in collaboration are expanding leadership opportunities across the industry
TANNER
O'NEAL RILEY
HONORS JOURNALISM STUDENT
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
Tanner O'Neal Riley is an honors journalism student at the University of Missouri-Columbia and participant in PMJA's Opening Doors initiative. His work includes producing at KOMU 8, MU's NBC affiliate, creating communications for the MU Alumni Association, and reporting for the Columbia Missourian. He brings a commitment to excellence and passion for meaningful storytelling.
ARNIE SEIPEL
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
KCRW
Arnie Seipel oversees KCRW's signature mix of music, news, food and entertainment programming. He's launched signature programs including Question Everything with Brian Reed and The Sam Sanders Show, while expanding national distribution for Left, Right & Center. Prior to KCRW, Seipel spent more than a decade at NPR managing the network's political coverage.
WHAT YOU'LL DISCOVER
- When and how to take on leadership roles that expand your impact beyond daily reporting
- What it's like to move from network to local station leadership and how those experiences build on each other
- How to recognize and pursue opportunities that align with your evolving interests and strengths
SYDNEY ROACH
REPORTER/HOST
WPSU
Sydney Roach is an early career broadcast journalist. She is in her second year of hosting All Things Considered and reporting on central and northern Pennsylvania for WPSU-FM. Before that, she worked two years as a news producer for WTAJ-TV in the same region. She's a lifelong Pennsylvania resident with a passion for the environment and rural issues.
Level Up Series Recordings
A few years ago, PMJA presented a series of webinars entitled "Level Up," in which we interviewed professionals in the business about their career paths and advice they might have for emerging journalists. While not a part of the "How I Got Here" series, we thought it was valuable information and figured we'd share those recordings here. Check them out!