Reporter, Host
Photo Credit John James
I first started working at KMCR (soon to become KJZZ) in 1985 as the midday disc jockey spinning records by my favorite jazz artists like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. I gained much experience doing live, on-air interviews back then with famous musicians like Michael and Randy Brecker, Thad Jones, Jean Luc Ponty and James Moody. That experience probably helped prepare me for my career in the news arena. I began anchoring and reporting news for Kjaz in 1987 as local host of All Things Considered.
As for the highlights of my career, interviews with news makers as diverse as Carl Sagan, Rosa Parks, Helmut Kohl and Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison come immediately to mind.
Over the years, I have won a slew of statewide news awards as well as national recognition from the Public Radio News Directors’ Association. I also was honored to be selected as one of 20 American journalists chosen by the German government in 1998 for a three week exchange program that took us to Berlin, Munich, Strasbourg and Brussels. Our mission was to observe and report on the European Union Parliament. Today, you can hear me anchoring our midday news programming between Morning Edition and All Things Considered. I continue to research and produce both short and long-form news stories with an emphasis on stories related to the arts community. I also do live, breaking news interviews and field reporting as the need arises.
In my leisure time, I enjoy playing racquetball and basketball with my sons, Merlin and Langston. I started playing guitar about five years ago as a hobby which has given me a new appreciation for people who can actually play a musical instrument. I’ve learned that, for people who do it well, it’s a lot harder than it looks!
…But I persevere.See ya’ on the radio!
