Public Radio International® names Sharon Hentges Ferraro director, Major Gifts

MINNEAPOLIS, June 15, 2009 — Public Radio International (PRI) announces the appointment of Sharon Hentges Ferraro to the newly-created position of director of Major Gifts, PRI Resource Development. In this role, Hentges Ferraro is responsible for expanding and managing PRI's major gifts program and for leading the individual giving team. She and her staff will identify prospective donors, interact extensively with them and current donors, and manage the overall strategies of PRI's individual major gifts program. She will also be responsible for creating new individual giving initiatives. The appointment was effective June 1.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sharon aboard," says Katherine Coward, senior vice president of PRI Resource Development. "She brings years of experience and a principled understanding of donor cultivation and management to this position. Her commitment to and love of public media are ideal for PRI, and I look forward to her joining us in support of our mission."

Of her new appointment, Hentges Ferraro says, "I am pleased to join the PRI team. The organization is a leader in providing relevant content to millions of listeners that informs and inspires us to understand our interconnected world. It is important and rewarding work."

Prior to joining PRI, Hentges Ferraro served for 12 years as director of Development at Convent of the Visitation School in Mendota Heights, Minn. There, she created and managed a variety of individual giving campaigns, the most recent of which resulted in double digit increases in participation across all donor groups. In addition to designing and leading the school's recent endowment campaign, which tripled the size of the fund, she increased annual giving to the school by 33%. She has also worked in development for other area nonprofit organizations, including Camp Fire Boys & Girls Minnesota Council and Actors Theatre of Saint Paul.

Hentges Ferraro is a graduate of St. Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota. She is a member and former president of the Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has held her Certified Fundraising Credentials (CFRE) since 1995. She lives in Minneapolis and volunteers her time to a number of area nonprofit organizations.

About Public Radio International®

Founded in 1983, Public Radio International leads media by producing, acquiring and distributing innovative content that enables U.S. audiences to "hear a different voice™," bringing new voices, global journalism and cultural perspectives to the  American public. Through partnerships with BBC World Service and station-based and independent producers, the Minneapolis-based media leader provides more than 400 hours of content each week, broadcast to 31.4 million listeners* through over 800 public radio stations and available through podcasts, streaming and on-demand through its Web site, pri.org. PRI's content is heard by more than 12 million* people each week through these collective sources.

*Source: Arbitron Nationwide/Act 1 Systems, Persons 12+ in DMA, Mon-Sun 24 hours, Fall '08.

PRI is known for driving innovation in public radio through partnerships with stations, independent producers and other organizations, and for working collaboratively to pool resources, share risk and cultivate new talent. Its newest production is "The Takeaway," a groundbreaking morning-drive news show produced with WNYC Radio. PRI's best known offerings include "This American Life," produced by Chicago Public Radio; PRI's "The World," a co-production of BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Radio Boston; "Living on Earth," produced by World Media Foundation Inc.; "Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?," produced by Wisconsin Public Radio; "The Tavis Smiley Show," produced by Smiley Radio Properties Inc.; and "Studio 360 from PRI and WNYC®," produced by PRI and WNYC; as well as 24-hour program services — "Classical 24®," produced by American Public Media; and BBC World Service, produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation. For more information on PRI and its programs and services, visit www.pri.org.

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All press inquiries about PRI and/or programs should be directed to:

Julia Yager
Communications/PR
Public Radio International (PRI)
v: 612.330.9231   e: jyager@pri.org