Staff

Staff

Jerry Wareham President and CEO
Kit Jensen Chief Operating Officer
Robert Calsin Chief Financial Officer
Tom Furnas Senior Director of Technology
Kent Geist Senior Director of Development & Communications
David Kanzeg Director of Programming
Jenny Northern Senior Director, WCLV
Mark Smukler Senior Director of Content
Linda J. Williams Senior Director of Educational Services

John Allenbach Operations Engineer - OGT
Sofia Andrades Accounts Receivable Specialist
Kathryn Baker Producer
David C. Barnett Reporter/Producer
Annie Bartlett Benefits and Payroll Specialist
Dick Barnick Senior Engineer
Jeremy Bastyr Technician
Janice Belon Systems Administrator
Tom Blasczak Production Crew
Molly Bloom Digital Reporter- StateImpact
Liesl Bonneau Program Manager - OGT
Karen Bradford Traffic Assistant -OGT
Hali Breiner Traffic & Sponsorship Coordinator
Nat’le Brown Traffic Assistant
Brian Bull Reporter/Producer
Charles Calhoun Technician
Jeff Carlton Radio Operations & Traffic Manager
Robin Carreon Membership Manager
Nick Castele Reporter/Producer
Lawrence Caswell Technical Producer
Shelley Cochran Administrative Support Coordinator
Bill Cohen Reporter/Producer - Statehouse
Kay Colby Producer
Melanie Collier Administrative Assistant, Community Development
T. Ward Collins Technician
Ron Corby Producer/Videographer - OGT
Paul Cox Producer
Barbara Crouse Underwriting Account Manager
Al Dahlhausen Radio Broadcast Engineer
Randy Davis Radio Engineer - WCLV
Dave DeOreo Producer
Narda Dixon Adminstrative Specialist, WCLV
Stephen Dole Announcer/Operator
Thom Dombroski Assistant Chief Engineer
David Duke Budgets & Reporting Manager
Abe Edison Facility Operations Specialist
Dick Feagler Host
Mary Fecteau Producer
Marianne Flippen Member Service Specialist
Ella Fong Special Events and Projects Manager
Richard Fox Customer Service Specialist
Karin Gail Announcer/Operator
Jacqueline Gerber Host/Producer, WCLV
Maggie Gibson Community Development & Volunteer Coordinator
Anne Glausser Reporter/Producer
Jim Goldurs Promotions Producer
Lisa Goss Communication Specialist
Robin Grier Announcer/Operator, WCLV
Gail Grizzell Grants Director
Robert Harper Production Crew
Jeff Haynes Designer/Editor/Producer
Grace Heese Underwriting Account Manager
Jack Helbig Technical Producer
Sharon Herene Major Gifts Director
Jo Ingles Reporter/Producer - Statehouse
Rick Jackson Morning Edition Host/Producer
Milan Jovanovic Videographer/Producer
Jennifer Juan Graphic Artist
Leah Jubara Assistant Producer - OGT
Michelle Kanu Reporter/Producer
Karen Kasler Statehouse News Bureau Chief
Linda Kenney Production Crew
Jerry Kest Customer Service Specialist
Dennis Knowles Producer
Steve Kurrent Production Crew
Dale Kwait Senior Engineer
Sally Lewis Senior Engineer
Lloyd LiBengood Systems Administrator, WCLV
Ida Lieszkovszky Reporter/Producer, StateImpact
Timothy Lowe Traffic Assistant - OGT
Tim Lowery Technician
Roger Lumpkin Production Crew
Michael Lusk Production Crew-Director
Kim MacDonald Human Resource Director
Alina Martinet Communications Specialist
Drew Maziasz Announcer/Operator
Mike McIntyre Host/Producer
Jim Mehrling Technical Producer, WCLV
Ron Miller Technician
Shannon Miller Media Assistant -OGT
Jamie Milne Program Coordinator - SMART
David Molpus Executive Editor
Wayne Myers Underwriting Account Manager
Kimberlee Namen Programming and Promotion Director
Peg Neeson Community Relations Director
Rich Nemec Announcer/Operator
Marnie Niver Production Crew
Bill O’Connell Program Director, WCLV
Jean O’Malley Assistant Producer
Mike Paliobeis Production Crew
Dee Perry Senior Host/Producer
Joseph Phillips Production Crew
Jeff Pillivant Production Engineer - OGT
Dan Polletta Producer
John Ramicone Distance Learning Director
Gaye Ramstrom Underwriting Account Manager
Anne Refermat Assistant Producer - OGT
Jeff Reidel PT Editor/Producer
Bill Rice Associate Editor
Dave Rodriguez Chief Engineer
Bob Rogers Technician
Mark Rosenberger Director of Production and Special Projects
Mary Rought Accounts Payable Specialist
Rachel Sachs Producer - OGT
Mark SatolaHost/Producer, WCLV
Joyce Schneider Content Support Coordinator
Charlie Schnell Underwriting Account Manager
Natalie Schrimpf Customer Service Specialist
Caitlin Schultz Assistant Producer - OGT
Traci Shaw Traffic Manager
Dan Shellenbarger Executive Director - OGT
Linda Shellenbarger Sr Systems Administrator
Joseph Sheppa Interactive Content Manager
Eric Siler Workshop Coordinator
Jan Silla Accounting Manager
John Simna Music Director, WCLV
Nancy Sinning Host/Producer, WCLV
Dave Staruch Studio Supervisor/Producer
Dave Stewart Production Crew
Phyllis Stokes Member Service Specialist
Laurie Switzer K-16 Outreach & Special Projects Coordinator
Nancy Tatulinski Senior Engineer
Stacie Taylor Radio Traffic Coordinator
Amy Thomas Underwriting Account Manager
Nick Tozzi Announcer/Operator
Duane Trabert Technician
Bill Ulvila Production Crew
Karen Valenti Underwriting Account Manager
Mike Vendeland Production Manager
George Viebranz SMART Programming Manager
Lauren Voss Part-time Editor/Producer
Gregory Wasil Executive Administrative Assistant, Educational Services
Steve Webster Announcer/Operator, WCLV
Gary Wenner Announcer/Operator
Barbara Whitlow Announcer/Operator
Ashley Williams Accounting Assistant
Lauren Wilson Associate Producer
Jason Wood Graphic Designer - OGT
Megan Wycuff Assistant Producer- OGT
Jean Zeller Individual Giving Director
John Zernick Senior Web Systems Administrator
Lori Zoss Kraska Corporate Support Director

On-Air Personalities

Katie Baker has been working in radio and television since 2004 and is currently a Producer for The Sound of Ideas, ideastream’s award winning morning news and talk program. She arrived in Cleveland via Washington D.C. where she was the Associate Producer for Washington Week at WETA.  During her tenure, the show was recognized with a Peabody Award for its coverage of the 2008 presidential election. Baker traveled to 10 cities, including Cleveland, producing roadshows in the weeks leading up to the election. She was also the researcher for Gwen Ifill, who moderated the Vice Presidential debate, and worked as Ifill’s research assistant for her book, The Breakthrough: Race and Politics in the Age of Obama. Prior to that she worked as a News and Production Assistant at CNN’s Washington bureau. Baker graduated from Loyola College and grew up on Cape Cod.

David C. Barnett started off behind the microphone at an early age. In the mid-1950s, his dad bought the first reel-to-reel recorder in their Chicago neighborhood. David C. fondly recalls being “interviewed” by his own father about the pressing issues of the day (as perceived by a two year old). In 1963 the Barnetts moved to Cleveland and DCB promptly fell under the spell of Ghoulardi, staying up late on Friday nights and turning blue. At the same time, David was becoming entranced by the possibilities of his Dad’s tape recorder. He started producing his own DJ shows and adventure stories. He also started experimenting with editing, doing such things as rearranging one of President Johnson’s State of the Union speeches. With such a firm grounding in media production, it was only natural that David enroll at Cleveland State University as a Communication major. At the urging of Cleveland radio legend and mentor Bill Randle, DCB followed-up his B.A. with a couple of Master’s degrees from Kent State University, where he first became acquainted with Public Radio. He came to WCPN in 1990 with an arm-full of taped interviews and an idea about producing a story about the 1970 Kent State shootings. The compelling program “Emily’s Diary” was the result, assembled by producers Kathleen Cerveny and Jim Goldurs. David has subsequently produced many award-winning programs and is a semi-regular contributor to National Public Radio news magazines. His documentary productions about American musical pioneers Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams (both engineered by 90.3’s Al Dahlhausen) have been nationally syndicated by Public Radio International.

Paul Cox is a charter member of the team that produces The Sound of Ideas on 90.3 and since 2003 has been the producer of Feagler & Friends on WVIZ/PBS.  Paul’s career in the journalism has encompassed both commercial and public radio and television. He’s been covering news and sports on the radio since 1973 and has been telling stories on television since 1985.  He’s spent his entire professional career in Ohio, mostly in the Cleveland and Columbus markets. A native Detroiter, he’s the son of a steel hauler and a schoolmarm (his mother taught in a one-room Kentucky schoolhouse during the Depression) who impressed on him the values of hard work and education.  Paul is an avid reader and bicyclist.

Dick Feagler was a featured columnist for The Plain Dealer and host of the weekly interview program Feagler & Friends on WVIZ/PBS. A native of Cleveland, he graduated from John Adams High School and Ohio University. Following service in the Army and a stint with the Sandusky Register, he signed on with the Cleveland Press in 1963 as a general assignment reporter. His feature column ran in the Press from 1970 until the paper’s demise in 1982. Throughout the 1980s, Feagler’s columns ran in many northern Ohio newspapers, including the Akron Beacon Journal, the Lake County News-Herald, the Lorain Journal, the Painesville Telegraph, and the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. In 1993, Feagler signed on with The Plain Dealer, where his columns continue to appear. Dick Feagler’s other media roles have included news commentaries for WKYC-TV3 and WEWS-TV5. He served as a senior editor for Cleveland Magazine and contributing editor for Corporate Cleveland. He has appeared on NBC’s Today and Tom Snyder’s Tomorrow, and many of his commentaries have aired on National Public Radio. Earlier columns have been collected in three previous books: Feagler’s Cleveland; Did you read Feagler today?; and I Know I’m Not Supposed to Say This… But I’ll Say It Anyway.

Jim Goldurs is a true 90.3 WCPN® veteran. Having served through 90.3 WCPN®’s tough times (refer to Kit Jensen’s bio for further explanation), Jim has seen the station’s birth through its current teenage growth spurt. And, he was one of the station’s first members, to boot! Born and raised in Cleveland, Jim graduated from Shaker Heights High School. He went on to receive degrees in Communications from Youngstown State University and the University of Pittsburgh. Jim has worked in radio throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania for close to thirty years. Currently, Jim is 90.3’s director of creative projects (fancy, huh?), and sometimes serves as substitute host for Around Noon. When he’s not being creative here at 90.3 WCPN®, Jim can be found practicing the art of the rub - massotherapy - in which he’s held a license for since 1990. Married, with three children, a dog and cat, Jim lives in Cleveland Heights.

Rick Jackson calls being the Morning Edition and NewsDepth hosts for ideastream a combination of everything from his 30+ years in journalism. His news reporting and being the first local voice on 90.3 WCPN each day, combined with hosting several programs on WVIZ/PBS brings together elements of his service in local and network television; both public and commercial radio; and in hosting the nationally syndicated public affairs series Village America, previously seen on PBS. Familiar to Greater Cleveland viewers from previous jobs as a news anchor and reporter for TV Stations WOIO, WUAB, and WKYC, Jackson returned to Cleveland in 1999 after working in New York City as the anchor of CBS Up to the Minute, a four-hour, live news program which aired in more than 50 nations. Having being heard or seen in Ohio markets during 25 of the past 33 years, Jackson was honored as a 2001 inductee into Ohio’s Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He is also an of Emmy Award recipient, and has won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, a Communicators Award, Women in Communications Awards and from the Associated Press. Jackson has also interviewed many world leaders; including U.S. Presidents Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and both George Bushes. But his favorite story remains piloting an Air Force F-16 through a series of 9G aerobatics over Lake Erie during the 2000 visit of the USAF Thunderbirds to the Cleveland National Air Show. Back on the ground, he says what he likes most about being a journalist is what he likes most about Cleveland. “It’s the people.”

Michelle Kanu started out in print journalism editing a student group newspaper and writing a weekly column for the Daily Californian at the University of California, Berkeley. From that role she was selected to be a contributor to GeNEXT, a Newsweek Magazine segment featuring students’ perspectives of the 2004 presidential elections. After college, Michelle detoured from journalism to pursue a passion for supporting youth by leading after school, tutoring and college access programs.  From there, she decided to complete a master’s in education policy, organization and leadership studies. In 2009, Michelle moved to Cleveland and joined the ideastream team in 2010. She now blends her two loves by covering education stories in Northeast Ohio.

Kristina Kuprevicius has been producing the weekly Lithuanian program on WCPN since 1986. Since 1996, Kristina has been with Judson Retirement Community as Vice President of Marketing. Prior to Judson, she was involved with Special Events for the City of Cleveland, May Department Stores and as a consultant, working on such projects as the opening of the Gund Arena and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Kristina graduated with a Master of Arts degree in piano and harpsichord from Cleveland State University. She taught at The Cleveland Music School Settlement, Regina High School and had numerous private students throughout the east side.

Mike McIntyre grew up in Cleveland throwing copies of The Plain Dealer to customers on his father’s circulation route. He joined the newspaper ten years later in a different capacity, as a metro reporter. Since 1990, McIntyre - a 1987 graduate of Bowling Green State University with a B.S. in Journalism - has covered government, transportation, crime and the environment for the newspaper. He was a staff writer for The Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine until it was shuttered in 2005. Since 2002, he has has written “Tipoff,” a twice-weekly metro column of assorted off-beat news items. The column won the 2010 Herb Caen Memorial Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. McIntyre is the host of The Sound of Ideas, while continuing to write the Tipoff column.

“You get a different perspective when you know how this stuff works!” Slovak Hour host Vladimir Mlynek not only understands what goes on in front of the microphone, but he even knows what’s happening inside the microphone. Both Vladimir and his co-host (and son) Gerald are certified electrical engineers who mix their technical expertise with a love of their heritage to bring listeners a weekly sampling of the Slovak culture. Vladimir has been involved in nationality broadcasting since the late 1940s, and is one of the original nationality broadcasters to sign-on with 90.3 when the station was born in 1984. One year later, Gerald was recruited to add an English-speaking voice to the program. It was an important move for 2nd and 3rd generation Slovak-American listeners whose primary language is English. The longevity and popularity of the Slovak Radio Hour can be traced to the devotion of the hosts and the great strength of the Slovak-American community throughout Northeast Ohio.

David Molpus joined WVIZ/WCPN as Executive Editor in March of 2006 after a long career at NPR. “I’m one of the luckiest journalists around having gotten to spend most of my career at NPR during its infancy and part of its prime,” Molpus says. “It gave me opportunities I never dreamed of growing up in a small town in the Mississippi Delta.” Among the memorable assignments Molpus points to his covering the opening of the Watergate trial in 1974, being on the campaign trail with Jimmy Carter in 1976, reporting from Greenland on the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense base there in the early 80’s, accompanying the 10th Mtn. Division into Haiti in 1994, and covering the Pentagon after 9-11. Plus, from time to time, he got to break out of the news mold in interviews with the likes of Wayne Newton, Loretta Lynn, bluesman Junior Kimbrough, Eudora Welty and Willie Morris. He picked up many honors along the way, including an Overseas Press Club award for spot news coverage, the “Outstanding Journalist” award from the Conference Board of New York for coverage of the American workplace and a Neiman Fellowship at Harvard, but Molpus says his proudest accomplishment came outside of journalism when he was still in college at the University of Mississippi. There he sued the university for its notorious “speaker ban” that kept minorities and white liberals from being guest speakers on campus. In 1970, in response to the lawsuit, the federal courts ordered an end to all “speaker bans” at all of Mississippi’s public colleges and universities. Today he is Executive Editor for WVIZ/PBS & 90.3 WCPN and oversees all locally produced content. “This is a vibrant and ambitious organization,” Molpus says of his new workplace, “working across platforms in a multi-media environment keeps us all on our toes.” He says ideastream is also creatively raising the bar for public broadcasting’s role in service to the community. Molpus, his wife Molly and their dog Willie, enjoy their cozy neighborhood in Shaker Heights and plan on making Ohio home for a long time.

After broadcasting a similar show in the 1960s, Joe Nicholls from Merseyside, England was itching to get back in front of the microphone when he heard about WCPN-FM going on the air in September 1984. Joined by other nationality broadcasters, The Sounds of Britain and Ireland began broadcasting one week after the station debuted. The uniqueness of this program is that unlike the most other shows that are about only one nation, Sounds of Britain and Ireland covers five countries - England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. In 1990, Joe felt something was missing. After recounting how he enjoyed having guests on the show, he decided to add another host. After careful consideration of past visitors, Kevin McGinty of County Mayo, Ireland was added to the roster. It didn’t hurt that Kevin had been a director and actor of the Cleveland Irish Players for some time and has a vast knowledge of the entertainment world. An added feature is a sports report E-mailed just prior to show from Tom Rizzo of Akron. Tom, who has never met either Joe or Kevin, is not only the regular sports reporter but also a big fan of the show. It’s a hectic two hours, but they love it. As Kevin often remarks “where did the time go?” Away from the station, Joe is a retired newspaper-marketing representative with many interests and Kevin manages a painting contracting company. Although good friends, their socializing with each other is very limited. Due in large part to distance and family life and as Kevin says “It keeps a fresh approach when we do the program”. This does not stop them talking on the phone frequently about new ideas for the show because as Joe says “The show must keep renewing itself”.

Dee Perry has been a part of the Cleveland broadcasting scene since 1976, having started her career at WABQ-AM, as a jazz host. Dee was born and raised in Cleveland, and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School and Cleveland State University. She has also lived and worked in New York City and Atlanta, and says that Cleveland is still her favorite place. Dee’s hobbies and interests include photography , motivational speaking, singing, and acting. She has appeared in several productions at PlayhouseSquare theaters, as well as Tri-C, CSU, Karamu, and Ensemble Theater. 90.3 WCPN has been Dee Perry’s radio home since 1989, and she has performed in several different capacities for this public radio station. She is currently the host and producer of 90.3’s hour-long daily magazine talk show, Around Noon, which focuses on visual and performing arts, cultural trends, and current events. Dee also serves as host and producer for Applause, WVIZ/PBS’ half-hour weekly television series which is also devoted to arts and culture.

Since 1987 Dan Polletta has been spending his evenings with Northeast Ohio jazz lovers bringing them the best of this great American art form Monday through Thursday from 9PM to 1AM on 90.3. When Dan isn’t playing the music, he’s writing about it: be it reviews or recording notes for albums. Along with recording engineer Al Dahlhausen, he has also recorded and produced local jazz concerts that have been broadcast on public radio stations across the country, including performances by Cyrus Chestnut, Mingus Big Band, and Abbey Lincoln. He’s also a voracious reader—of anything, from cereal boxes to contemporary American political history (Whew!). Dan spends quite a bit of time in the kitchen whipping up new epicurean delights with an occasional trip to the wine rack for further inspiration. Outside of radio, Dan’s greatest accomplishment was coaching his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship from his seat in C-Deck of Ohio Stadium.

Musical interests led Bill Rice into radio during the early 80s. While in college at the University of New Haven he spent most of his time at the student run station, acting as Station Manager, Jazz Director and Jazz Jock, Bottle Washer and Hall Monitor. Perplexed at being finally ejected - after all, he had graduated, they told him - Bill moved to Baltimore, where he landed his first real radio job at a little AM outfit. A short time later Bill went to work recording chamber concerts for broadcast at WBJC-FM, the NPR station in Baltimore. He’s been a public radio die-hard ever since. He moved to New Hampshire in 1988, wearing a multitude of hats at New Hampshire Public Radio. Finally his fascination with all things newsworthy propelled him into journalism in 1993, and he’s never looked back. He served as News Director at two smaller radio stations in Indiana before succumbing to the lure of Cleveland in June, 2000, joining 90.3 on the education beat. Sources say he may stay awhile - he was appointed Assistant News Director at ideastream in 2004, loves Cleveland, and is quite happy living in his adopted home-town of Lakewood. Bill has won numerous awards during his career, including for his reporting on the demise of LTV Steel, Cleveland public school governance, and the growing gender gap in higher education. On the side he is a guitar enthusiast, with a background in folk, jazz and blues playing.

Petro Tvardovsky graduated from Chernihiv State University in Ukraine in 1958, majoring in History. He was an educator in his home country for forty years before moving to the United States with his wife Vira in 1994. After settling in Parma, he worked as a teacher for three years and then as principal for four years at the School of Ukrainian Studies. Since 1997, he has hosted the Ukraina program on 90.3/WCPN and he’s also an editor of the Ukrainian newspaper Visty UZO - both under the auspices of the Ukrainian United Organizations of Ohio, UZO. Oksana Rabosyuk is the daughter of Petro Tvardovsky. She graduated from the Kiev Institute of Foreign Languages in 1996. She worked as a teacher of English for five years before moving to the U.S. with her husband and son. She graduated from nursing school in Cleveland and works as an operating room nurse at MetroHealth Medical Center. Since 1997, she’s worked with her father on the Ukraina radio program.

Dr. Joe Wendel began his broadcasting career in 1961 on former ethnic radio station, WXEN as a sportscaster! He was the voice of the Cleveland Stokers, a professional soccer team that was brought over from England by some local investors. But, the Stokers only lasted a couple of years and Joe – an Austrian native – turned his radio focus to spreading the word about Greater Cleveland’s German-speaking citizens. Sports and radio aside, Joe has also boosted the German culture through his expertise on the “stomach Steinway” --- the accordion he sports as the leader of the Joe Wendel Orchestra. This ensemble regularly tours around the country, playing numerous local festivals, as well as such entertainment hot spots as Las Vegas and the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Music, whether it is on the radio or on the stage is a labor of love for Joe Wendel. In addition to being an entertainer, Joe has a long history as an educator, holding a doctorate in Educational Administration and School Law.