Terry Barber
Terry Barber is the owner and operator of Little Engine Broadcasting’s two radio brands that operate in the Montgomery market. Each is an AM/FM translator combination targeting a niche market. One is Black Gospel and the other is Regional Mexican. Terry is a career broadcaster with over 45 years in our industry.
Kevin Benz
A self-described “recovering” news director, Kevin Benz is well-known as an inspiring, engaging speaker. He coaches thousands of journalists and hundreds of newsrooms around the country with his own style of pragmatic, ethical craft. His 30 years in newsrooms and reporting on the streets provide a unique understanding of what journalists need.
Kevin launched two of the most innovative media organizations in the country — News 8 Austin, a 24-hour local news channel, and CultureMap Austin, the most read digital lifestyle magazine of the city.
Kevin is former Chairman of both the RTDNA (Radio, Television, Digital News Association) and the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters where he co-founded the Southwest Broadcast Journalism Conference.
Dr. Dianne Bragg
Dianne Bragg is an associate professor and associate chair in the Journalism and Creative Media Department at The University of Alabama, where she teaches media law and journalism history. She has a PhD in mass communication, with a concentration in history, and an MA in journalism. She has held leadership positions with several academic organizations, including serving as the 2017-2018 president of the American Journalism Historians Association and associate editor of the Journalism History academic journal. She was the 2022 recipient of the AJHA National Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Fletcher Brown
“Fletch” has been the Operations Manager/Program Director at Big River Broadcasting in Florence for the last 27 years! He’s responsible for daily operations of Big River Broadcasting’s four radio stations: WXFL/WLVS FM, WQLT FM, and WSBM AM. He also does PM Drive on WXFL and is an avid supporter of The ABA.
Andy Burcham
Andy Burcham serves as the play by play voice for Auburn Football, Men’s Basketball and Baseball. He has been part of the Auburn Baseball broadcast team since 1995. Burcham co-hosts Tiger Talk and hosts the Talking Tigers Podcast. In addition, he also hosts a weekly show for Auburn Athletic teams during their seasons. He served 31 years as the play by play voice for Auburn Women’s Basketball.
Previously, Andy was Station Manager for Auburn Network, Inc’s WANI Radio and served as host for the ABBY Award Winning Auburn-Opelika This Morning. Burcham has also worked for Tiger Communications and Fuller Broadcasting in Alabama. Prior he worked for WCIL Radio in Carbondale, Illinois and WMLA Radio in Bloomington, Illinois.
Burcham received a bachelor’s degree in Radio, TV & Film from Indiana State University in 1983. A native of Nashville, Illinois, Burcham and his wife, Dr. Jan Gunnels Burcham live in Auburn. Dr. Burcham is the Associate Dean for the College of Education and Health Professions at Columbus State University.
Rob Conrad
Rob’s been the morning show host at WMJJ for 30 years! Before that he worked on air in Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle and on satellite radio. He’s also programmed many stations during his career. Rob believes in heavy community involvement and helping listeners. He’s married to Fran, an animal advocate and avid water skier.
Travis Dent
Travis Dent is a seasoned professional in the television broadcasting industry with over 20 years of experience across seven markets. He is currently the Marketing Director at WSFA 12 News in Montgomery, Alabama. Travis earned a B.A. in Mass Communications from Savannah State University (HBCU), driven by his passion for the creative arts. His work has garnered him an Emmy Award, an Abby Award, and a short film award at the American Black Film Festival.
In 2020, he competed with 20 global speakers in the semi-finals of the International World Championship of Public Speaking. A passionate storyteller, Travis draws on his personal and professional experiences to inspire audiences to strive for excellence.
Outside of his professional life, Travis enjoys reading, public speaking, coaching youth sports, and playing guitar.
DreDay
DreDay burst onto the scene as the morning show host at Bethune-Cookman University’s college radio station, quickly capturing the city’s heart with his electrifying personality. After college, he cemented his status as Orlando’s premier radio personality and DJ on Power 95.3 and STAR 94.5, becoming a local legend at the hottest nightclubs and school pep rallies across central Florida. Since 2019, DreDay has been rocking the airwaves at WALJ, where he’s been crowned Personality of the Year three times. Beyond the mic, DreDay has deep community ties, actively engaging with schools and local organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, serving as a Board Member of Temporary Emergency Services, and participating in Leadership Tuscaloosa. He also DJs with the University of Alabama Football team, bringing his signature energy to every event.
In addition to his on-air charisma, DreDay is instrumental in programming WALJ and is heard on WTUG in Tuscaloosa and B106 in Killeen, Texas. His voice resonates nationwide as the imaging voice for all Townsquare Media hip hop stations and the nationally syndicated XXL Higher Level Radio Show.
Donna Dukes
Donna Dukes, Founder and Executive Director of Maranathan Academy, was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. She attended and graduated Valedictorian, with Suma Cum Laude honors from Miles College in 1991. She holds a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Harvard University and a Master of Arts in Management from Harvard University.
Donna founded Maranathan Academy, a 501(c)(3) non-profit alternative school and learning center, on September 3, 1991, to educate critically at-risk youth and adult students. It’s goal? To break the cyclical dependency on government assistance, that has plagued the critically at-risk populace for generations. Over the last thirty-two years, Maranathan Academy has impacted over 2,000 lives, and graduated nearly 400 students from Maranathan Academy.
Donna is a Telly Award winning filmmaker, a TEDx Speaker, an author and a motivational speaker. She credits her success to being blessed with great parents who taught her the importance of a strong work ethic, academic excellence and faith.
Jim Dunaway
Jim Dunaway, an Alabaster, Alabama native, graduated from the University of Montevallo in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication with an emphasis on public relations. Thirty plus years later he continues to fulfill 11 year-old Jim’s dream to cover sporting events all over the country, from Daytona to the Rose Bowl.
Currently, Jim is the host of the popular podcast, The Next Round. Prior to TNR, Dunaway hosted the radio show The Roundtable on WJOX Radio in Birmingham for many years.
Along the way, Jim has been recognized for his work with two regional Emmy Awards while at WVTM-TV, multiple Associated Press awards for Alabama Sportscaster of the Year while at WIAT-TV, and several Alabama Broadcasters Association awards while at WIAT-TV and WJOX radio. He has also been named Sportscaster of the Year multiple times by the National Sports Media Association.
Jim and his wife Margaret (Hahn) have two children, Harper and Carter, and reside in the Birmingham area.
Sean Edwards
Sean Edwards is the Senior RF Design Engineer for Shively Labs, A division of American Amplifier Technologies (AAT). In 1997 Sean joined Shively’s RF team. He held a number of positions over the years including Senior RF Field Tech, Test and Development Engineer, and RF Designer and Project lead. During this time Sean designed and built a handful of new FM antennas and several new FM filters to add to Shively’s FM product line. In 2023 American Amplifier Technologies, LLC. acquired Shively Labs and Sean now lends his expertise in RF Design and legacy Shively products to AAT’s RF Team.
Tori Espensen
Tori leads SciLine’s training programs, which help both scientists and journalists learn to work better together to bring accurate, engaging scientific evidence to general audiences through news stories. Her role includes developing curricula, facilitating workshops and webinars, and finding creative ways to make teaching science and communication skills dynamic and interactive. Tori’s Ph.D. in biological psychopathology and postdoctoral fellowship in psychiatry, both from the University of Minnesota, allow her to connect with the scientists she trains and share her deep understanding of scientific skills and concepts with journalists.
Alie B. Gorre
Alie B. Gorrie is an actor, educator, and disability inclusion consultant. As a theatre artist, she has performed in NYC, on tour, and regionally. She is the producer of ABLE: a series, a documentary series discussing disability inclusion in theatre, TV, and film. Additionally, Alie B. serves as a disability inclusion consultant, traveling to regional theatres, arts organizations, and universities, working to make the arts inclusive and accessible for all. She is the founder of Songs for Sight, an organization helping young people with low vision live more independent lives. She has a BFA in Musical Theatre from Belmont University and a Master’s in Arts in Medicine from the University of Florida. As a disabled artist, Alie B. deeply understands the need for increased representation of the disability community, and she will not stop this work until our stages and screens are mirrors of the world around us.
Edie Hand
Edie Hand is a business woman, international speaker and author, media personality, filmmaker, and Mom. Edie is the founder of, the “Women of True Grit series” that encourages women to share their stories of how they navigated through hard things to find beautiful situations. Edie has partnered with Sinclair Broadcasting of Birmingham/ABC 33/40, Gray Television NBC/WAFF48 of Huntsville for 2024 and Alabama Public Television to bring heartfelt and educational stories to help women and students not feel alone as they face the seasons of life. Next in development is a Grit 101 curriculum for high school seniors and college freshmen along with women in communities in need or starting over due to life situations.
She has starred in national commercials, and daytime television soaps, hosted national TV programs, and developed several radio shows and vignettes across the country. She was the CEO of a full-service ad company, Hand ‘N Hand Advertising, in Birmingham and Daphne, Alabama for over thirty years. In recent years, she partnered with her Hollywood actor/businessman son, Linc Hand, to form Hand ‘N Hand Entertainment to continue her passion for writing for film, television, radio, and podcasts.
Ted Hand
Ted D. Hand, CPBE, 8-VSB, AMD, ATSC3, DRB, was elected to his first one-year term as president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers in 2023. He is a member of SBE Chapter 45 Charlotte (North Carolina), and an SBE Fellow Member. An SBE member since 1981, Ted previously served two terms as SBE vice president. He has also served as SBE secretary from 2007 to 2011 and in 2015, and SBE treasurer from 2019 to 2021. He has served on the SBE Board of Directors several times: 2002-2004, 2005-2007, 2013-2015, and in 2018.
Ted is the Director of Engineering and Operations at the Cox Media Group stations in Charlotte, NC. WSOC-TV, WAXN-TV and Telemundo Charlotte. He has worked at stations in the Hampton Roads, VA area and in Raleigh, NC. He has been in broadcasting for 47 years, 41 of those years in management positions. He was the 2015 COX Television Engineer of the Year. Mr Hand has been nominated twice for a Regional Emmy awards. Ted was named Engineer of the Year at both SBE Chapter 54 Hampton Roads and Chapter 45 Charlotte.
Mr Hand earned his Bachelor of Engineering Technology in Electronics from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Ted is an Amateur Radio Operator, W9SOC.
Tom Hanrahan
Tom is an award winning 37-year radio veteran and has started Coached UP to help owners and operators with talent coaching. He’s programmed in Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, Columbus GA, Panama City and Tallahassee. He’s coached talent/shows in Chicago, Houston, Pheonix, Alburquerque, Birmingham, Huntsville, Jackson, MS and Fayetteville, TN. Get more information at radiotalentcoaching.com
Kirk Harnack
Kirk Harnack, CBNE, CBRE, brings 40 years of hands-on experience in broadcast engineering and education to his position as Senior Solutions Consultant at the Telos Alliance. His expertise in putting technology to work in broadcast facilities has driven notable expansion in Audio over IP, VoIP for broadcast, audio processing, and virtualized technology adoption by content creators.
Kirk maintains an active, hands-on role in broadcast engineering through his positions as a partner and VP-Engineering of South Seas Broadcasting, Inc., Delta Radio, LLC, and Kaua’i Broadcast Partners, totaling 14 AM and FM radio stations. He is a Broadcast Meteorologist (WSMV, Nashville), fixed-wing private pilot, FAA Part 107 SUAS pilot, and licensed General Class Amateur Radio operator (KD5FYD). He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, and is Program Chair of SBE Chapter 103 in Nashville.
Kirk founded and hosts the Internet video netcast, “This Week in Radio Tech” or “TWiRT”. This 1-hour weekly video netcast, features regular contributors and guests from the world of radio engineering.
Rod Hicks
Rod has experience at numerous news organizations across the country. Most recently, he served as an editor for The Associated Press at its Philadelphia-based East Regional Desk. In this role, he worked on several major national stories including the Sandy Hook school shooting in Connecticut, the Boston Marathon bombing and the sexual assault trials of Bill Cosby. Hicks previously held editing positions at newspapers in New Jersey, Alabama, Michigan and Missouri. He managed the St. Louis Post-Dispatch news operation at night. He was working the night a gunman entered a suburban city council meeting and killed the mayor, two council members, a police officer and two other people. The coverage was a finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News. Before that he was a suburban editor for The Detroit News.
Scott Johnson
Scott’s legal professional life, commencing from his graduation from Duke University School of Law, has been devoted to the practice of communications law. Scott is well known for his representation of mass media clients, including radio and television station owners, broadcast networks and satellite program distributors, as well as universities and cities with respect to telecommunications needs and funding. Scott also represents equipment manufacturers and companies which develop communications tower sites. Scott likewise has experience in international radio and television and other international activities. He is also legal counsel to the Alabama Broadcasters Association.
In recognition of his contributions as legal counsel to the Alabama Broadcasters Association, he was named “Broadcaster of the Year” and inducted in the ABA’s “Hall of Fame.”
Scott received his undergraduate degree from Birmingham-Southern College, and his law degree from Duke University School of Law. He is admitted to the Bars of the U.S. Supreme Court, and various other federal courts, and to practice in the District of Columbia and Alabama.
Jama Killingsworth
Jama Killingsworth currently serves as Vice President/General Manager at WAFF TV in Huntsville, Alabama. Prior to her current position she was Vice President/General Manager for WDAM in Hattiesburg/Laurel, Mississippi from 2016 until she moved to Huntsville in 2020. Before moving to Hattiesburg, Jama spent 12 years in Jackson, Mississippi at WDBD FOX40. She held several positions while at FOX 40 including General Manager/General Sales Manager as well as Director of Sales, Local Sales Manager and Account Executive. Prior to relocating to Jackson as an account executive, she began her broadcast sales career in Nacogdoches and then Tyler, Texas.
Jama is on the Alabama Broadcasters Association Board of Directors, a position she also held with the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters. In addition, she is a 2013 graduate of the National Association of Broadcasters-Broadcast Leadership Training Program (NAB-BLT). Jama lives in Owens Cross Roads with her children Davis, 18, and Maddox, 16.
Mary K
Mary K. considers herself an Alabamian, calling the Yellowhammer State home for the (on and off) past 20 years. With an impressive radio career that spans over 30 years, she has established herself as a prominent figure in the industry. Since the summer of 2019, Mary K. has been an integral part of the historic 92.9 WTUG, where she captivates audiences with her engaging presence, leaving a lasting impression on listeners.
With a strong belief in nurturing community bonds, Mary K. contributes to various organizations and initiatives. As a dedicated member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ®, she holds a lifetime membership and remains actively involved with the Eta Xi Omega Chapter located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Additionally, Mary K. extends her philanthropic efforts by being a part of the Junior League of Tuscaloosa and serving on multiple boards, including the Literacy Council of West Alabama.
One notable achievement in Mary K’s career was her participation in a charity event where she rode Disney World’s Splash Mountain for an astounding 48 hours, raising over $10,000 for the Red Cross.
Mary K enjoys various hobbies, including expanding her purse collection, self-proclaimed foodie, oil painting, spontaneous road trips, and monitoring local weather patterns. Additionally, she enjoys game nights and savoring breathtaking views. Her diverse array of interests reflects her vibrant and adventurous spirit.
With a passion for severe weather and a commitment to keeping West Alabamians well-prepared, she devotes her time to the severe weather season. Her dedication to this cause has not gone unnoticed, as she has been honored with two Alabama Broadcasting Awards for her exceptional journalism in the field.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bethune-Cookman University, a Bachelor of Science and Broadcast Meteorology Certificate from Mississippi State University, and a Master’s from Queens University of Charlotte.
Fernanda Lara-Alcantara
Fernanda Lara-Alcantara, originally from León, Guanajuato, Mexico, embodies resilience and determination in her journey from her homeland to corporate America. At the age of six, she immigrated to the United States with her family, seeking greater opportunities and a brighter future. Overcoming the challenges of learning English and adapting to a new culture, Fernanda forged her own path through perseverance and a steadfast commitment to personal growth. Today, Fernanda thrives in the corporate world, where her passion for excellence and strategic
thinking has propelled her career forward. With a background enriched by her multicultural upbringing, she brings a unique perspective and invaluable insights to every project and team she engages with.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Fernanda is an avid traveler, finding inspiration and understanding through exploring diverse cultures and landscapes. She is deeply passionate about animal welfare, actively involved in rescuing pets, and nurturing her love for plants, cultivating vibrant green spaces wherever she goes.
Fernanda holds a deep appreciation for her roots and a relentless drive to continue learning and evolving. Her journey is a testament to the transformative power of perseverance, cultural understanding, and the pursuit of one’s passions in achieving personal and professional fulfillment.
Dollar Bill Lawson
Dollar Bill’s radio career began in 1973, but his move to WZZK in his hometown of Birmingham in 1984 kicked off his long tenure in the market. Lawson spent 18 years at WZZK, 10 of which as a morning show host that consistently topped the rankings. When he switched to 102-5 The Bull in 2003, his loyal fanbase followed, and he continued to achieve high ratings for decades to come. He was also honored with the CRB Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award in 2019 for his charitable efforts. Bill is also a member of the ABA Hall of Fame and retired in 2023 after 50 years in radio!
John Mailhot
John Mailhot has worked in the field of digital high-definition (HD) television systems since its North American inception in 1990. He began as part of the AT&T-Zenith team, responsible for system architecture and integration of the digital spectrum compatible high-definition television (DSC-HDTV) system prototype, and then served as technical lead for the Grand Alliance encoder at Lucent Technologies. He subsequently held engineering manager and general manager roles at Lucent Digital Video, Aastra Digital Video, and the Harris Broadcast Video Networking Group. Today, Mailhot is chief technology officer of the networking and infrastructure team at Imagine Communications. He has dual bachelor’s degrees in computer science and electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has been recognized as a SMPTE Fellow. He also serves on the boards of the Video Services Forum (VSF) and the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA).
Brooke Myers
Brooke Myers is the General Manager of Tiger Communications and Program Director of 99.9 Kate FM in Auburn, AL. Originally from Piedmont, AL, Brooke grew up dreaming of being a radio DJ. She attended Auburn University and received a degree in Radio/TV/ Film. She started at The Tiger in 2002 as an intern for “SportsCall”, working and learning under Andy Burcham. In 2007, she became GM and in 2008 she had the opportunity to lead the format flip of WQNR to 99.9 Kate FM, fulfilling her dream of being on the air. She enjoys attending concerts with her wife, Wendy, being an 80’s music nerd, and is a huge fan of Stevie Nicks.
Montiqua Pettway
Montiqua Mathers-Pettway,MS,is an accomplished professional
with a rich academic background, a deep commitment to
community service,and a passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). Educated in the Birmingham City School Systems, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Montevallo, where she pursued a double major in Mass Communications and Speech. Her academic journey continued with a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from Webster University, complemented by a Certification in Training and Development from the University of Alabama.
With 22 years of experience in human resources and DE&I, Montiqua has established herself as a leader in her field. Her extensive experience includes working for organizations of all sizes including a Fortune 500 and Fortune 250 company, where she honed her skills and deepened her commitment to DE&I. In her relentless pursuit to create inclusive environments,Montiqua founded People First Consulting, a boutique HR and DE&I firm dedicated to helping organizations value their greatest asset—their people.
Ray Quinones
Ray Quiñones is a former hill staffer and Congressman Darren Soto (FL-09) alumni.
He served as policy advisor to the Congressman and managed whip operations for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
He also has campaign experience, having been both a campaign manager and data director.
He holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Florida and now advocates on behalf of the nation’s broadcasters as a member of NAB’s government relations team.
Cinthia Saenz
Cinthia Saenz is the General Coordinator and the Director of Community Engagement at Rivera Communications, where she oversees the operations at their flagship stations: La Jefa 98.3 FM, 93.1 FM, 1220 AM, and El Jefe 1500 AM. With her exceptional leadership skills and dedication, Cinthia collaborates closely with the team to organize and execute Rivera’s most prominent events. She plays a crucial role in ensuring the company’s successful participation in various festivals, including FIESTA Birmingham, DÍA DE MUERTOS, FESTIVAL DE INDEPENDENCIA, LA FERIA DE PRIMAVERA, and EL JEFA FEST. Cinthia’s broadcasting industry expertise and ability to lead and inspire her team have contributed significantly to Rivera Communications’ continued success.
Jeff Schmidt
Jeff likes to start with why, and Jeff’s why is: To Inspire engage, educate, equip, and empower people to believe in themselves, have confidence in their abilities, and achieve even greater levels of success – however they define success.
While his mother wanted him to become a preacher or a lawyer, he became an salesperson with the Midwest Family Broadcast Group in the 80s. Jeff has been “on the air”, on the streets as a successful seller, and has spent years inspiring teams as sales manager. Jeff has navigated the complexities of working for small independently owned companies, survived the tumultuous occasions of ownership changes, and excelled in the corporate arena. He rose through the ranks as sales manager, market manager, and regional vice president and has served in various sales roles and organizations in his 30+ years in radio.
As Senior Vice President of Professional Development, Jeff oversees the professional development group across all RAB’s training services and works with the industry’s leadership to continue to provide a professional development practice positioned to serve an evolving industry sales force focused on digital, solution based integrated marketing and sales efforts.
Derron Steenbergen
Derron Steenbergen is the President and Founder of the Swagger Institute. The Swagger Institute specializes in fundraising, sales and leadership training, motivational speaking and business and nonprofit consulting. He is a founder and partner of the Ten Minute Trainer Network, one of the nations leading online training platforms. Derron has also spent many years as the Chief Revenue Officer of Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation. Commonwealth Broadcasting owns and operates 17 stations in Kentucky. Steenbergen has over 30 years of broadcast sales experience, beginning as a local direct rep and advancing through the ranks of sales management. His years training salespeople led to the formation of Swagger. Recently, Steenbergen saw a need to incorporate and adapt his sales expertise into winning strategies for the nonprofit arena, and formed Golden Rule Fundraising, the nonprofit division of Swagger Institute.
Steenbergen enjoys teaching simple steps that can help sellers and fundraisers make more magic in their careers. His high energy, audience involved seminars are making huge impacts with people across the country, both in person and virtually. Steenbergen has recently been called “the most relatable sales guy in the country,” and “the modern day Zig Ziglar.”
Chris Stewart
Immediately after graduating from the University of Montevallo, Chris Stewart couldn’t find a job in broadcasting and landed at the Over The Mountain Journal, answering phones and writing any assignment he was given.
A year later, he began covering over-the-mountain high school football games for a local cable access show he and a friend created. This step put Stewart back on the air and propelled his career forward, leading to a job as the radio announcer for Birmingham-Southern College sports.
Stewart went on to build an impressive career doing play-by-play announcing for more than two decades for what since 2002 has been the Crimson Tide Sports Network. In 2009, the University of Montevallo gave him the college’s Alumni Achievement Award, and in 2021 he was named to the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
In the fall of 2024, Stewart will return as the full-time play-by-play football announcer at Alabama, marking his 25th year at the University.
Mia Suggs
Emilia Suggs is a rising senior at the University of Alabama. She is currently pursuing a degree in Public Relations and will pursue a Master’s degree in Public Relations and Advertising in the fall. Emilia currently serves as the Senior Account Executive and intern director at Capstone Agency, in addition to her involvement with PRSSA and PRCA.
Denise Vickers
Denise Vickers is an accomplished multimedia executive with over three decades of experience. As the current Editor-in-Chief of 352today in Ocala, Florida, she has successfully launched a local digital news product for a cluster of commercial radio stations.
Denise has held various leadership roles, including Director of the Innovation News Center at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications; as well as General Manager at WFXG in Augusta, Georgia.
She is very familiar with the Alabama media landscape having served as News Director at both WHNT in Huntsville and WSFA in Montgomery.
Denise holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Alabama and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri.
Denise’s passion for innovation and technology, coupled with her commitment to public service, has fueled a career dedicated to advancing the field of journalism and fostering community engagement.
Jeff Welton
Jeff completed training in Electronics Engineering Technology at RCC Institute of Electronics (formerly Radio College of Canada) in 1985 and has worked in various positions from field service to component level bench repair to technical support in both the telecom and broadcasting fields.
Since starting at Nautel in 1990, Jeff spent 17 years in Customer Service, both in the office and as a field service tech, before moving to Sales about 14 years ago. He has done over 100 presentations, covering various aspects of transmitter and facility maintenance and repair, including NAB panels, state broadcast shows and SBE presentations, as well as Nautel based training and instruction presentations and webinars.
An SBE certified CBRE, in his spare time, Jeff volunteers engineering time to a local non-profit community radio station, as well as writing several articles and a couple of chapters of the most recent NAB Engineering Handbook.
Steve Wexler
Steve Wexler (or “Wex” as he’s known) created a make-believe radio station (“W-E-X-L Radio”) in his bedroom when he was a kid and rode his bike to WTMJ in Milwaukee when he was 17 years old and asked if he could be on the air.
That began a career that has taken him from the control room to the board room and included on-air work before beginning his TV and Radio management journey in Milwaukee for Hearst (WISN) and in Portland, OR (KGW) and Seattle, WA (KING) for King Broadcasting. He returned home to Milwaukee and WTMJ as program director in 1993 for Journal Communications. Journal promoted Steve to market manager positions in Tucson, AZ and Omaha, NE where he began overseeing TV and Radio markets, including regional oversight of TV operations in Lansing, MI; Boise, ID, Green Bay, WI, Tucson, AZ and as the VP/GM of KMTV-TV in Omaha, NE and WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee.
In 2012, he was named division head of the 36-station, 8-market Journal Radio Group, a position he held through Journal’s merger with Cincinnati-based E.W. Scripps. In 2018, he led the sale of the radio group to four separate companies, including Good Karma Brands in Milwaukee, where remained as vice president and market manager until late 2022, when he launched his own leadership and coaching consultancy: “W-E-X-L Coaching & Development”. He continues his work with Good Karma Brands as their Leadership Coach, providing coaching and training for their sales and content teams across the country.
In 2024, Steve was tapped to serve as the interim CEO at Illinois-based Neuhoff Communications, providing leadership to the company during their management transition.
Steve has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Radio Advertising Bureau and is a past Chair of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
Brian Wexler
Brian Wexler’s career spans 28 years beginning in sales and marketing for WJW-TV in Cleveland Ohio. He is a seasoned veteran in broadcast and digital sales, having worked as Local, Regional and National Sales Managers for a number of television stations owned by leading broadcast groups, including TEGNA, CBS Television and FOX Television.
In his TVB role, Brian is responsible for working with member stations to create category-specific presentations to further establish local broadcast television as the leading medium for advertisers and agencies. Brian resides in Tampa, FL and presents the TVB Road Show to local businesses in his East Coast region educating them on the power of local broadcast television. He also works closely with station account executives in his region providing training via webinars, webcasts and in-person meetings.
Sara Whitlock
Sara is a biologist with a background in synthetic biology and microbiology who is excited about scientific storytelling. She interacts with scientists on a variety of opportunities related to SciLine’s services for broadcast journalists— producing video clips of experts responding to breaking scientific news, arranging windows of availability with scientists so broadcasters can interview them, and connecting scientists with reporters via SciLine’s expert matching service. Before landing at SciLine, she bounced around the country designing antimicrobial peptides, studying a flu-like disease called Q fever, and tackling HIV replication. These experiences led her to earn an M.S. in biophysics & structural biology from the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied how bacteria organize their insides. While elbow deep in bacterial cultures, Sara wrote about research and her experiences as a graduate student for STAT News, Pitt Med Magazine, and Scientific American. When she’s not doing work for SciLine, she’s continued to work as a freelancer, producing podcast episodes for the American Geophysical Union and educational videos for SciShow.
Larry Wilkins
Larry Wilkins has over 40 years’ experience in radio and television engineering. He started like a lot of others, while in high school at a 1 kW day timer, in his hometown of Enterprise. After two years of electronics school, he began working for the NBC affiliate in Montgomery. Throughout his career he has built numerous radio/television studio and transmitter facilities. He worked for the Auburn Network for over 20 years handling on site engineering duties at all Auburn Football games. When Larry retired, it was from his position as Assistant Director of Engineering for Cumulus Broadcast, a job he held for 10 years. Larry now serves as the Director of the Alabama Broadcasters Association Engineering Academy and is also the chair of the Alabama EAS Committee and serves on the Amber Alert Task Force for the State. Wilkins has served on the SBE National Board of Directors and presently serves on the SBE Certification Committee. He holds Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer (CPBE), AM Directional (AMD) and Certified Broadcast Network Technology (CBNT) certifications. He was named SBE “Engineer of the Year” in 2005, was inducted into the Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame in 2012 and was named “Broadcaster of the Year” by the ABA in 2015
