NPR Names Chief Comms Officer
• Isabel Lara has been promoted to NPR’s first Chief Communications Officer. Lara has led NPR’s media relations team and acted as the organization’s spokesperson since 2014, most recently as Executive Director for Media Relations.
The CCO is a newly created senior executive role that elevates and focuses strategic oversight of NPR’s communications with all audiences, ensuring a unified and consistent voice and a strong representation of the NPR brand across channels. The existing media relations and corporate communications teams will now report up to the new role. Together, the combined team leads NPR’s press outreach, crisis communications, audience relations, talent relations, corporate messaging and stakeholder communications.
The announcement of Lara’s elevation was made by NPR President & CEO John Lansing, who commented, “Isabel is known across the organization for her deep commitment to NPR’s staff and mission, and her tenure at NPR is evidence of a communications expert who understands the unique needs of a media organization. She is always ready to take on a complex communications challenge and find strategic solutions that will benefit our brand and future.”
Lara is a veteran communications expert, with over 20 years of experience in the field. Before joining NPR, Lara worked at the National Education Association, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Latino Center; as well as Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation in New York and El Universal in Caracas, Venezuela. “Every day NPR and its Member stations bring millions of listeners the news they need about the world and their communities, as well as art, music and science stories that enrich and give meaning to their lives. It is a privilege to support the people who work around the clock to ensure this,” Lara said. “Transparent, accurate, and timely messaging is vital in a media organization. I am eager to continue working with our very strong and effective internal and external communications teams in this new role.” [Photo courtesy of Lyons PR]
