Media ID cards, business cards and and buttons from a few of the places I’ve worked over the years.
I have worked in radio and television in different capacities since 1989. The last two decades have been in public broadcasting as a reporter, anchor, editor and manager.
During the first five years of my career, beginning when I was in high school, I was a DJ playing alternative rock, country and pop music at radio stations in Arkansas. After an eye-opening internship in 1993 at C-SPAN in Washington, DC, I made the transition to news, working as an anchor and reporter for several radio stations and networks around the country.
My reporting on major news stories has been broadcast nationwide by NPR News, CBS News Radio and the BBC. I have also written stories and had photos published by newspapers and wire services.
I became a manager in 2005, serving as department editor, then assistant news director for NPR station WLRN-FM 91.3 in Miami. In 2009, I returned home to Arkansas to work for NPR station KUAR-FM 89.1 in Little Rock, with the last 10 years serving as news director. Since January 2023, I have been Director of Public Affairs for Arkansas PBS.
For each listing below you can click on the logo to read a detailed description of experiences in each position, see photos, listen to audio or watch videos of some of my more noteworthy broadcasts.
August 2003 – April 2009
Local Morning Edition anchor and reporter, eventually becoming assistant news director.
This was a unique partnership between the Miami Herald and NPR member station WLRN-FM 91.3. In addition to reporting on the radio, I periodically wrote for features and hard news stories for the newspaper and had several of my photos published. I was eventually promoted to department editor, then assistant news director, editing copy from our radio reporters and working with print reporters to produce radio versions of their stories. READ MORE
March 2000 – August 2003
Miami-based reporter heard nationwide on CBS News Radio and the Westwood One program America In The Morning.
I traveled throughout Florida covering stories of national interest. When the news was big enough or events were developing, I would broadcast live on CBS hourly newscasts and special reports. Among the stories I covered were the 2000 presidential recount between George W. Bush and Al Gore, an anthrax attack at a national tabloid publisher, Florida’s connection to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and a plane crash in the Bahamas that killed R&B singer Aaliyah. READ MORE
March 1998 – March 2000
News anchor and reporter for WIOD in Miami. In my final year I would run from one story to the next, filing stories via cell phone.
My beat was Miami-Dade County, reporting on practically anything — politics, demonstrations, crime, court trials, hurricanes and entertainment. Among the many big stories I covered were the international custody fight over Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez and a trial stemming from the 1996 Valujet crash in the Florida Everglades. READ MORE
March 1997 – March 1998
Traffic reporter for radio and TV stations, first in Richmond, Virginia, then I transferred to the company’s Miami, Florida office.
In Richmond, I worked as a morning producer and midday traffic anchor. In Miami, i worked a split shift, anchoring morning and afternoon drive for WSVN-TV 7 and several radio stations, including the number one-rated WEDR, 99Jamz. READ MORE
January 1997 – September 1997
Afternoon drive news anchor for the Virginia News Network and Friday evening anchor on WRVA in Richmond.
The state network was heard on 55 affiliates across Virginia, while WRVA was the city’s top-rated news station with a 50,000-watt signal covering much of that region of the country. READ MORE
March 1996 – June 1997
Freelance writer and photographer for this bi-weekly newspaper.
The Little Rock Free Press gave me my first opportunity to write hard news and feature articles. Among them were two cover stories, CD, concert and book reviews.
June 1995 – August 1996
I started with the NPR station in Little Rock by hosting a weekly interview program, then became a news anchor.
As part of an independent study class at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, I hosted a weekly half-hour interview program on KUAR in the summer of 1995. I later began working there, filling in as a local Morning Edition anchor. I would return to KUAR in 2009, working there for 13 years, with the last 10 serving as news director. READ MORE
May 1993 – January 1997
News anchor and reporter for the Little Rock news station, where I eventually became promotions director.
I started as a part-time news anchor and reporter for KARN and the Arkansas Radio Network, which had 65 affiliate stations statewide. Here I learned how to put newscasts together, cover stories in the field and began filing for CBS News Radio. For a while, I worked as morning editor and was eventually offered the position of promotions director which included reporting live every half-hour during morning drive. READ MORE
January 1993 – May 1993
As part of an internship in Washington, DC, I helped produce the weekly public radio show C-SPAN’s Weekly Radio Journal.
The program featured highlights of each week’s political coverage by the television network and was aired on NPR stations nationwide. I selected segments to be broadcast, honed my skills editing reel-to-reel tape and learned much of the the inner workings of C-SPAN. It proved to be an invaluable learning experience that redirected me toward news while opening my eyes to what life could be like living outside of Arkansas. READ MORE
October 1991 – January 1993
Overnight DJ for KJBR-FM 101.9 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, which at that time was a hard-edged pop music station.
The powerful signal of the 100,000-watt station in the northeast Arkansas college town could be heard in parts of five states. But the first steps of deregulation led to the station being bought by a crosstown rival, the format being modified and gave me a preview of what was to come with radio consolidation. I also filled in for several months as news director, anchoring morning newscasts on KJBR and news/talk sister station KBTM-AM. READ MORE
October 1990 – October 1991
I started as a part-time DJ for what was a soft rock station in Paragould, Arkansas. I would eventually be promoted to full time.
Even though KDXY was at that time a low power, small town station, it was professionally run, carefully programmed and actively involved in its community. Under the leadership of Trey Stafford, in later years it would become the region’s top-rated station. READ MORE
August 1989 – August 1990
Country music DJ at this AM/FM combo in England, Arkansas, just outside of Little Rock.
I started by working weekends and overnights in August 1989, eventually becoming weekday evening personality. Don’t be fooled by the heritage call letters. This is not the historic station that was once on the air at AM 1010 in Little Rock, just an effort to capitalized on that station’s notoriety. READ MORE
February 1989 – August 1989
Financial troubles at this small station gave me a harsh introduction to the radio business.
KBBA was supposed to be my first paying radio job, but paychecks from the Benton, Arkansas station bounced and I didn’t stay long. It still ended up being a good learning experience. READ MORE
November 1988 – May 1995
Volunteer host of a weekly alternative rock program on this powerful community radio station in Little Rock.
KABF was a wonderful place to learn the joy of being on the radio, hosting Radios in Motion in the middle of the night starting when I was still in high school. The station had a signal that covered much of Arkansas. I could play what I wanted, have friends on the air with me, while still learning important lessons. READ MORE
I developed an interest in radio before even starting elementary school. As I grew older, a love of music solidified my desire to be on the air.
A high school radio class taught me enough to get my first job and begin getting some real experience. A couple of mentors were also extremely helpful in getting me started. READ MORE about what planted the seed that became a career extending over several decades.
