The WBA Student Seminar, coming up March 6, will include small group meetings between broadcasting students and professionals from across the state.
You can read more about and register for the Student Seminar and here.
Today we’re sharing the list of professionals who will be on hand to meet with students on March 6:
Bridgit Bowden
Special Projects Reporter
Wisconsin Public Radio
Bridgit is the special projects reporter at Wisconsin Public Radio. Previously, she was the Mike Simonson Memorial Investigative Reporting Fellow at WisconsinWatch. A graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism, her work has won numerous awards.
Evans Chronis
Marketing Facilitator/Internship Coordinator
94.5 ESPN Milwaukee
Evans has been in his current role for a little more than a year as the team lead on giveaways, events, and other campaigns. He is also the Internship Coordinator for all of Good Karma Brands Milwaukee primarily consisting of 94.5 ESPN, 620 WTMJ, and 101.7 The Truth. He attended Marquette University where he first got my start with GKB as an intern back in 2018.
Jerad Clark
Director of Sales
Mid-West Family Broadcasting
Jerad started with Mid-West Family in 2010 in La Crosse before coming to Madison and also spent some time in Mid-West’s Springfield, Illinois market. He sits on a number of boards, in and outside of our industry, because he believes it’s important to get involved. This industry has taught him a lot in life and he said he’s had a blast along the way!
Rachel Frye
Producer
620WTMJ
Rachel graduated from Western Illinois University in 2013 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She moved to Milwaukee in 2014 where she was a part-time news reporter and anchor at Newsradio 620 WTMJ. In 2016, she moved behind the mic and began producing Wisconsin’s Morning News. She’s had the 2:30 a.m. alarm clock ever since.
Justin Garcia
Studio Host
Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network
Justin started in radio as an intern at WTMJ in 2003 and ESPN 105.5 in La Crosse while attending college. He rejoined WTMJ in 2008 and served as the producer for Sports Central and the Coordinating Studio Producer for the Green Bay Packers Radio Network. In 2015 Justin joined the Bucks Radio Network and in addition to his network hosting duties he currently hosts the official postgame show of the Bucks on WTMJ/ESPN Milwaukee as well as a weekly Bucks show and podcast.
Jordan Gordan
Broadcast Engineer
Good Karma Brands
Jordan is the sports operations broadcast engineer (since 2010) at 620 WTMJ Milwaukee owned by Good Karma Brands. Depending on the day he controls the Packers, Brewers, and Bucks radio networks from Radio City. He’s a proud 2008 graduate of the prestigious UW-Oshkosh Radio/TV/Film program!
Sarah Gray
News Director
WISC-TV
Sarah joined WISC-TV in January 2020, after spending more than two years in Wausau as the News Director at WSAW-TV. Prior to that, she was an Executive Producer at WBAY-TV in Green Bay. Sarah grew up in the Twin Cities and has a degree from the University of Minnesota.
Cherie Harris
General Manager
101.7 The Truth
Cherie is a veteran of Milwaukee radio and television, as an account manager at WKKV-FM (V-100), Radio Disney and WITI-TV (FOX6). She has a Master’s in Business and Administration from Cardinal Stritch University and a degree in Communications and Broadcast Journalism from UW-Whitewater.
Krista Hatcher
Host “Krista & the Morning Rush”
93.1 Jamz – Mid-West Family Broadcasting
Krista hosts the first all-female morning radio show “Krista & The Morning Rush” on 93.1 Jamz in Madison. She’s been in radio since 2000 and hosting morning radio for 14 years.
Shar Hermanson
General Sales Manager
Mid-West Family Broadcasting
Shar has spent 24 years learning and growing with a variety of media channels that include newspaper, radio sales, digital sales, radio management, digital management, and management of a billboard company. In her role with Mid-West Family they are reinventing how they work with clients, and are a full-service marketing firm. This allows them to serve a client’s needs whatever they might be. This may include a fully digital solution for one company to a complete rebranding effort for the next company.
Bill Hubbard
Broadcast Engineer
Bill Hubbard received Educator of the Year in 2019 from the Society of Broadcast Engineers. He leads the Media Technology Institute for the WBA and had a successful 40+ year career in commercial and public television broadcast engineering.
Jimmie Kaska
Digital Manager, WEAU-TV
Freelance sports broadcaster
After working for 17 years at iHeartMedia groups in Milwaukee, Madison, and Eau Claire, Jimmie recently took on the role of digital manager at WEAU 13 News in Eau Claire. Additionally, Jimmie calls dozens of games each year for radio stations all across Wisconsin at the college and high school levels.
Lane Kimble
Assistant News Director
WISC-TV
Since graduating from UW-Whitewater in 2010, Lane has bounced around Wisconsin and the greater Midwest his entire career. That includes two stints at WJFW in Rhinelander (eventually becoming News Director there), two years as an MMJ at WDJT in Milwaukee, and one year as Assistant News Director at KYTV in Springfield, Mo. Lane loves storytelling, conversational writing, and helping reporters connect with the viewer beyond the basics of a news package. He’s a believer in doing news the “right way” and using age-old skills in an ever-changing industry.
Dean Maytag
TV Producer
WISN-TV, Retired
Dean spent 45 years in broadcasting and his last 26 years at WISN-TV as Director of Broadcast Operations. He oversaw the creation of more than 700 TV programs. He’s won multiple Emmys , he’s a WBA Hall of Fame member, and the current Executive Producer of “Project PitchIt,” a statewide TV show. His interest is in content creation for broadcast.
Mike O’Brien
WCLO/WJVL Radio General Manager
Retired
Mike O’Brien, O’Brien Betterment, LLC, is a trainer and consultant for radio stations. O’Brien has a 40 year career in advertising sales, marketing, training, and general management. He enjoys grooming young broadcasters for future success!
Shannen Oesterreich
Morning Show Host
WMIL FM106.1 Milwaukee
After struggling with what she wanted to do during her first year of college, Shannen landed an internship in Radio Promotions for iHeartMedia. She loved it so much that she changed majors, transferred schools and has been working at iHeartMedia Milwaukee ever since (coming up on nine years!). She’s currently part of a three-person morning show on the country station, FM106.1, and the Social Media Director for a cluster of six stations.
Patrick Pendergast
VP/General Manager
Milwaukee Radio Alliance
Patrick is VP/GM for the Milwaukee Radio Alliance (WLUM-FM, WLDB-FM, WZTI AM-FM) serving the Milwaukee-Racine market. He began his career as an Account Executive in Milwaukee for WLZR-FM in 1987 and has since held radio management positions in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan.
Caroline Peterson
Reporter/Anchor/Producer
WMTV-TV
Caroline Peterson joined the NBC15 News in Madison in June of 2018. She currently reports during the weekdays and anchors and produces the NBC15 News at 9 p.m. newscast on the weekends.
Gene Purcell
Director
Wisconsin Public Media
Gene is the Director of Wisconsin Public Media at UW-Madison which partners with the Educational Communications Board to operate Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin. He began his broadcasting career in 1979 as a student at WLSU-FM.
Quinn
Program Director/Afternoon Host
WMIL FM106.1 Milwaukee
Quinn has been in radio since 2008, starting out in Buffalo, New York. Her podcast Women Crushing It Wednesday that features women in country music, on the radio, and who own businesses can be heard everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
Ed Reams
News Director
WKOW-TV
Ed joined WKOW-TV in September of 2014. Prior to WKOW, Ed was the Assistant News Director at WISN in Milwaukee, joining that station in September 2011. While Ed has been a news manager for more than 15 years, he got his start in the business as a reporter and anchor, working at stations all over the Southeast, including Roanoke, Raleigh, Atlanta, and New Orleans.”
John Rowe
VP/Market Manager
Cumulus Media, Oshkosh
John previously served 13 years as Group Director for Gannett Wisconsin Media with responsibilities in Appleton, Fond du Lac, Green Bay, Manitowoc, Oshkosh, Sheboygan, Wausau, Wisconsin Rapids, Marshfield and Steven Point. He lived in worked in Chicago for 13 years and held senior management positions in media along with account executive roles with two ad agencies.
Greg Scalzo
Director of Sales at ESPN Madison
Host of Scalzo and Brust on ESPN Wisconsin
Greg is the Director of Regional Sales for Good Karma Brands based out of their Milwaukee market, in addition to hosting ‘Scalzo and Brust’ M-F from 4-6 p.m. across ESPN Wisconsin (100.5 ESPN Madison and 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee). Greg started as an intern at Good Karma Brands before enjoying the first 10 years of his career in sales roles and on the air on ESPN Madison.
Dave Solie
TV Anchor
WXOW-TV, La Crosse
Dave has worked at WXOW-TV since 1990 as a reporter, video editor, assignment manager, content manager, and anchor. He teaches Communications Studies at UW-La Crosse where he’s been since 1995.
Terry Stevenson
Sales Manager
Seehafer Broadcasting
Terry began working in radio at the age of 15. He was recently named the WBA Young Professional of the Year and is currently the Chair of the YP Committee. In addition to advertising sales, Terry is also the host of various radio talk shows and podcasts. Learn more online at TerryStevenson.com.
Heather Storm
Afternoons/Music Director
WKSZ-FM – Woodward Radio Group
Heather hosts the afternoon show on Woodward Radio’s WKSZ-FM out of Green Bay/Appleton, where she also serves as music director and has been with the company 11 years. She went to Westminster College in Pennsylvania and started her career at the college station and later as a board op for Star 100.7 in Pittsburgh.
Colleen Valkoun
Area President
iHeartMedia Milwaukee/Madison
Colleen is a graduate of UW-Madison in Radio, TV and Film and has worked more than 25 years in Wisconsin radio. She is currently the Area President over 12 broadcast media stations in the Madison and Milwaukee Markets for iHeartMedia. Colleen is on the Board of Make A Wish Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association. She started as a new reporter for a radio station in Madison and then went into local sales. She was promoted to National Sales Manager where she worked with advertising and marketing agencies around the country for 10 years until she settled as the Senior Vice President of Sales in Milwaukee and then the Market President. As Area President she focuses on the market operations, business development, community partnerships, and company culture.
Don Vesely
VP/General Manager
WMTV-TV
Don serves on the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Executive Board, Board of Directors, Foundation Board, Education Committee, and Legislative Committee. He began his career as an account executive in Rockford, Illinois. Don has spent the last 20 years at WMTV as an account executive, local sales manager, general sales manager, and VP/General Manager. He continues to be a mentor for those in broadcast and digital marketing.
Kyle Wallace
Director of Content
101.7 The Truth
Kyle’s background in radio started at UW-Whitewater where he majored in broadcast journalism. At UW-Whitewater he served as the UWWTV Sports Director and was part of a WBA award winning best sports play by play team in 2012. After graduating, he went on to obtain a master’s degree in Sports Administration but still had an itch for radio broadcasting. While working full-time in higher education, Kyle worked as a part-time producer at ESPN Milwaukee. In 2020, he left higher education to help lead the launch of the New 101.7 The Truth geared towards bring a voice to Milwaukee’s black community.
