Presidents' Council
Laura R. Walker is the 11th president of Bennington College.
Prior to joining Bennington, she served as the President and CEO of NEW YORK Public Radio. Under her leadership, NYPR became the leading independent public radio group, reaching more than 24 million people each week, a pioneer in podcasting and a producer of signature programs, including Radiolab, On The Media, Studio 360 and Radio Rookies. During her tenure, NYPR was awarded ten George Foster Peabody Awards and many other awards. Ms. Walker has held senior leadership roles at Sesame Workshop and Carnegie Hall and has served as an Executive Fellow in Residence at the Yale School of Management.
Ms. Walker has twice been named one of “New York City’s 50 Most Powerful Women” by Crain’s and has been honored with the Edward R. Murrow Award and the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award.
Ms. Walker holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA in History, magna cum laude, from Wesleyan University, where she was an Olin Scholar.