SAINT PAUL, MINN. (December 17, 2020) – Amina Jaafar has been named Chief Inclusion Officer, and Lynn Farmer has been named VP of Marketing – both newly created positions at Twin Cities PBS (TPT). Jaafar was most recently the Assistant Vice President in the Office for Equity and Diversity at the University of Minnesota (UMN) and Farmer was Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Hamline University. They will begin their new positions on January 4, 2021.
Through her nearly 15 years of work, Jaafar has focused on cultivating strong-working relationships to create cultural change, facilitating challenging conversations to help individuals and communities move toward understanding and partnership, and providing strategic direction to help organizations meaningfully advance their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work. Farmer joins TPT with nearly 25 years of marketing and business experience in for-profit, nonprofit and higher education. She spent 18 years working for Target before starting her own consultancy firm to build capacity for nonprofits and small businesses. In 2016, Farmer charted a new course at Hamline University bringing her enterprise skills to reshape Hamline’s marketing department and launch new brand and website initiatives.
“While TPT is a national leader among PBS stations, the expertise that Amina and Lynn each bring to our team will further our mission and increase our impact,” said TPT’s President and CEO Sylvia Strobel. “We are looking forward to having them join our team and advance our public service journey with staff, board, partners, donors and audiences.”
Jaafar received her PhD in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development from the University of Minnesota, where she studied how representations of Arab and Muslim women impact policy and practice in the fields of education and psychology. Jaafar is also a passionate mentor for BIPOC students and early career professionals. She previously served on the Board of Directors for Avenues for Youth, an organization committed to supporting youth experiencing housing insecurity, as well as a member of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.
“I am thrilled to be joining TPT as the inaugural Chief Inclusion Officer,” Amina Jaafar said. “Like many industries, public media is navigating how to grow and evolve to meet shifting demographics, expectations and needs. As an educator and parent, I have seen the positive impact of TPT’s programming on diverse communities within and beyond Minnesota. I am honored to join the team to further advance diversity, equity and inclusion across the organization.”
Lynn Farmer said, “I am excited to join TPT as the Vice President of Marketing and Communication. TPT is a local leader in media and education and also a Minnesota treasure. I am excited to be a part of the next evolution of this iconic brand.”
Farmer received her B.A in Marketing from Howard University. She has also served as a moderator at the Minnesota Marketing Summit and the American Marketing Association Symposium on Higher Education. Farmer has been involved with numerous community organizations including currently serving on the board of the Minnesota Independent School Forum, as well as a former board chair of the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) and board member at Brightwater Montessori School. Farmer is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
# # #
About Twin Cities PBS
Twin Cities PBS (TPT)’s mission is to enrich lives and strengthen our community through the power of media. Established 63 years ago, TPT now operates as a public service media organization that harnesses a range of media tools to serve citizens in new ways — with multiple broadcast channels, online teaching resources, educational outreach and community engagement activities reaching more than 2 million people each month. Over its history, TPT has been recognized for its innovation and creativity with numerous awards, including Peabody awards and national and regional Emmy® Awards.
© Twin Cities Public Television - 2021. All rights reserved.
Comments
Read Next
