Where were you born and raised?
I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, where there was no
shortage of automobiles and great top 40 radio. I
earned a B.A. degree from Wayne State University after
internships at commercial news outlets, but didn't find
Detroit's public radio station WDET until after
graduating. It was there that then-Assistant News
Director Jerome Vaughn patiently taught me the craft,
and I learned more in my three years there than I did at
school and my other internships combined.
When did you begin working at WAER?
I joined WAER news in June, 2001.
What do you do at WAER?
I am the afternoon news producer, host, and anchor. I
write and choose the sound for some of the stories you
hear during our newscasts within All Things Considered
and Morning Edition. Stories may be from news
conferences about what's happening in the area; others
tackle the pressing issues of the day. Many are written
by student reporters, with guidance from me, Morning
Edition Host John Smith, and News Director Chris Bolt.
I also help to coordinate event coverage, and manage the
15 student reporters that come through our newsroom each
week.
What was the most unusual job you ever had?
Most odd jobs don't last long, but I stayed with this
one for 7 years during and after college. I was a lab
courier for a large clinical testing laboratory. I hit
the road late every afternoon on my designated route in
rush-hour metro Detroit traffic to deliver reports and
supplies and pick up medical specimens from doctor's
offices (i.e. blood drawn for various tests). The job
obviously wasn't a long-term career. But the
combination of flexible hours, freedom, and good pay
made it ideal until I landed a full-time position in
radio.
Why do you love public radio?
When I first "found" public radio, I was enamored by the
freedom it offered to tell real, issue-oriented,
sound-rich stories without the time constraints of
commercial radio news. I found I loved the "sound" of
public radio...intelligent, informative, and thorough.
What are your hobbies?
I can never seem to get rid of the news bug; I'm always
scouring various web sites and other sources for what's
happening. Otherwise, I volunteer at the Onondaga Hill
Fire Department, where I'm Secretary and an Associate
Member. But, most importantly, I enjoy long talks and
walks with my wonderful wife, plus spending time with
family, biking, hiking, traveling, and reading.
What is your favorite quote?
Just once in a while let us
exalt the importance of ideas and information.
~
Edward R. Murrow
Our job is only to hold up
the mirror - to tell and show the public what has
happened.
~
Walter Cronkite
