Meet Aleesa Kuznetsov

Aleesa Kuznetsov is the senior producer of “Minnesota Now” on MPR News.   

Before joining MPR News in 2023, Aleesa built her career in local television as a news producer. She began at NBC15 in Madison, Wisconsin, before transitioning to WISH-TV in Indianapolis where she worked overnights as a morning show producer. Aleesa returned to her home state of Minnesota as an evening newscast producer for FOX 9.   

Aleesa won first place in Hard Feature Reporting at the 2023 Midwest Broadcast Journalism Association’s Eric Sevareid Awards.

Aleesa graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communication arts: film, radio, TV, and a minor in education policy. She is a first-generation American and is passionate about telling the stories and sharing the perspectives of people who often go unheard.  

Aleesa lives in the Twin Cities with her cat, Juno — named after the film "Juno," which was set in Minnesota.  

You can find Aleesa Kuznetsov on X and Bluesky.