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Executive Director Breeze Richardson, photo credit - Rachel Marie Bock

Breeze Richardson

Executive Director

Breeze joined the Aspen Public Radio team in June 2021. Highly-respected in public media for her strategic planning and communications background, she has a passion for telling stories and producing community-focused programming.

Since arriving in the Roaring Fork Valley, Breeze has been on stage exploring disability and inclusion with 1A’s Jenn White, discussing the importance of local journalism for Aspen Institute’s Society of Fellows, and in conversation with Tockukwu Okafor, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, and 2023 Aspen Words Literary Prize winner Jamil Jan Kochai for Aspen Words. In February 2023, she took the stage at the Wheeler Opera House with NPR's Ailsa Chang to lead a conversation about making big career changes, representation in media, and the impact of investigative journalism; and most recently she sat down with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly for Aspen Words.

Breeze is passionate about public radio's role in emergency preparedness, especially in rural communities, and currently serves as President of the Rocky Mountain Community Radio coalition and is an elected member of the Western States Public Radio Board of Directors. In 2024, she completed the Public Media Diversity Leaders Initiative (PMDLI) hosted by the Riley Institute at Furman University, and is a proud alumni of the Aspen Institute Hurst Leaders Forum.

Before returning to public radio, Breeze worked as director of marketing and communications at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri, and from 2013-2017 she worked for the Kansas Board of Regents, gaining extensive experience in state government communications and higher education while serving as the agency’s public information officer.

Breeze began her career at WBEZ 91.5 FM/Chicago Public Media, where she worked for over decade in a variety of roles, including daily show production, StoryCorps producer, lead community engagement researcher, and director of strategic partnerships. Throughout her tenure at WBEZ, Breeze fostered collaborative relationships with significant cultural institutions and community organizations, and produced over 45 live events for nearly 30,000 participants. During this time, Breeze also volunteered as a producer for Young Chicago Authors’ annual teen poetry slam, Louder Than A Bomb, providing participating voices with national PRX distribution in celebration of National Poetry Month each April, bringing the thoughts and ideas of young writers to public radio airwaves across the country.

Breeze received a master’s degree in public policy from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and American Studies from the University of Kansas. She enjoys exploring the valley with her husband, Kelsey, and teenage boys, Gus and Iggy.