Kansas Association of Broadcasters

Ryan Dohrn is the Emmy award-winning founder of media sales training firm Brain Swell Media and has trained over 30,000 media sales reps in 7 countries. Ryan sells advertising every day and has been a part of over half a BILLION dollars in media revenue. He is a graduate of the Cornell Executive Leadership Program, and his 30-year media sales and marketing career includes leadership roles at Disney, WLS/ABC TV, Sinclair Broadcasting, Cumulus Radio, and The NY Times Company. Ryan currently works monthly with over 50 media companies and their related sales and management teams.

A love of storytelling propelled Chris Green into a career in writing and journalism. Now, he translates that passion into his work for the Kansas Leadership Center as executive editor of The Journal, the KLC’s quarterly magazine. A native Kansan and graduate of Baker University in Baldwin City, Chris also earned a master’s degree in international politics from Scotland’s University of Edinburgh. He and his wife, Sarah, enjoy exploring both inside and well beyond Kansas and have begun a quest to visit all 50 U.S. state capitols. They are the parents of a son, Calvin, born in 2018.

David Oxenford is a partner in Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP’s Washington, DC office.

David has represented broadcasters for over 25 years on a wide array of matters from purchases and sales of broadcast properties and the negotiation of programming agreements to regulatory matters. His regulatory expertise includes all areas of broadcast law including the FCC’s multiple ownership limitations, the political broadcasting rules, EEO policy, advertising issues, and other programming matters.

He also represents webcasters and other digital media companies, including serving as counsel to a webcast trade association, and representing internet radio companies on copyright, music licensing and other issues.

Involvement in communications activities predates Mr. Oxenford’s legal career. While in college, he was very involved in the operation of the College of William and Mary’s FM radio station, serving as general manager of the student-run station during his junior year.

Mr. Oxenford currently serves as First Vice President of the Board of Advisors for the Jefferson Program in Public Policy.

The product of a Kansas farm just outside the tiny town of Thayer, Amber Lee is the quintessential fun-loving, mid-western girl.

Married to her high school sweetheart of 24 years, she and her husband attended Neosho County Community College before completing their education at Brown College in Minneapolis. Together they have weaved the perfect family tapestry which includes one high schooler, one college student, two rescue dogs, and a smattering of barn cats that roam their 5-acres outside of Tecumseh.

Amber herself is a lover of shoes, creator of Pinterest projects, and griller of everything. Amber loves a good pinot noir, but you’ll always find cold beer in the fridge! Amber volunteers at her son’s High School, Capper Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity Women Build.

Amber has received nine Kansas Association of Broadcasters Awards, including the prestigious Personality of the Year, and the Tony Jewell Community Service Award. She’s worked in radio for over 20 years, including stations in Minneapolis, Boise, Joplin, and Lawrence in addition to Topeka. Amber has been on-air at Majic 107.7 for over 8 years.

 

Steve Wexler, or “Wex” as he’s known, created a make-believe radio station (“WEXL 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 at WTMJ and WISN in Milwaukee before beginning his TV and Radio management journey, building news and talk stations in Milwaukee, Portland and Seattle. He returned home to 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 operations, including as VP/GM of KMTV-TV in Omaha and WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee.

In 2012, he was named division head of the 36-station, 8-market Journal Radio Group, a position he continued through Journal’s merger with E.W. Scripps. In 2018, he led the sale of that 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 content consultancy, W-E-X-L Coaching & Development.

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.

Steve and his wife Amy live in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and have two children and two grandchildren.

 

Denise Vickers doesn’t claim to be a superhero but believes she possesses the superpower to cultivate news talent.

For more than three decades, Denise has donned an invisible cape and capital “J” for journalism on her chest, symbolizing her commitment to defending truth, freedom of information and democracy. As a multimedia news executive, she fearlessly guides journalists, shaping them into beacons of integrity.

From the streets of soul in Augusta, Georgia, where she served as the General Manager for WFXG FOX54, to News Director at dynamic newsrooms in Huntsville, Alabama; Montgomery, Alabama; Boise, Idaho; and Charleston, South Carolina – Denise’s professional journey has been exciting.

Most recently as the Director of the Innovation News Center at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, she mentored the next generation of truth-seekers.

Her career has earned her many accolades, including a regional Edward R. Murrow award, multiple regional Emmy awards, and a multitude of honors from state broadcasters’ associations.

Armed with her Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and fortified with a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Alabama, Denise combines journalistic experience with business acumen, to tackle the challenges facing the media world.

 

For the last 25 years, John Gray has been providing software solutions used by broadcast engineers and consultants to perform R.F. propagation analysis and technical studies required for FCC applications.  By focusing on professional broadcast engineering software, John has been able to put his passion for computers and physics degree he earned at Iowa State University to good use.  He started his career at V-Soft by creating one of the first software implementations of the FCC’s OET 69 model used for DTV interference calculation.  In the years since he has gone on to produce tools for FM and TV coverage and interference prediction, IBOC/HD Radio, AM allocation, and microwave coordination.

 

Kirk Anders Harnack, CBNE, CBRE, brings 40 years of hands-on experience in broadcast engineering and education to his position as Senior Solutions Consultant at 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 Program Chair of SBE Chapter 103 in Nashville.

 

Natalie Davis is a KAB and Emmy winning news anchor, national broadcast talent agent, and former Miss Minnesota. Natalie’s career in television news spans every Kansas DMA: KSNT in Topeka, KCTV5 in Kansas City, and KWCH in Wichita. She commanded the anchor desk throughout her career, while also reporting in the field and producing behind the scenes. Through her work, Natalie reported impactful news, held the powerful accountable, and engaged with the community.

She used journalism to be a voice for families who were stuck for years on the waitlist for disability services in Kansas. She earned viewers’ trust during the COVID-19 pandemic as she informed them about the effects on their health, livelihood, and children’s schooling. Natalie also represented the media on a committee with the Kansas Department of Corrections, helping launch a statewide effort to stir new leads in cold cases with playing cards.

A former Miss Minnesota, Natalie competed at the 2012 Miss America competition. She was also recognized for her dedication to service work related to autism and other disabilities, inspired by her brother Trevor. Her leadership and advocacy work in this realm, and her career in broadcast television, molded Natalie into an expert communicator on all levels: in front of the camera, one on one, and in front of audiences both large and small. Natalie now uses her talents and passion for mentorship as a broadcast talent agent for OTA Talent, a nationwide agency serving journalists and expert commentators.

Natalie recently moved to Columbia, Missouri, where her husband Alex works as an orthopedic surgeon. They have two little boys who love growing up with their Uncle Trevor at home.

 

Ryan Lefebvre is in his 25th season as a Royals broadcaster on Bally Sports Kansas City and the Royals Radio Network and his 29th season on a Major League broadcast. Lefebvre won his second Mid-America Emmy Award in 2018, after also earning the honor in 2016.

Before joining the Royals prior to the 1999 season, Lefebvre spent four seasons as a broadcaster for the Minnesota Twins on WCCO Radio, WCCO TV and Midwest Sports Channel. He was hired full-time at the age of 24, one year after graduating from the University of Minnesota. He also broadcast Gophers football, hockey and volleyball for WCCO and MSC.

He is the son of former big league player and Manager, Jim Lefebvre. Actively involved in a number of Kansas City community activities, Lefebvre is the founder of Gloves for Kids, which has raised money for youth programs in Kansas and Missouri since 2001. In 2011, Lefebvre was the recipient of the John J. “Buck” O’Neil MVP Award for his commitment to youth in Kansas City. He was also named the 2006 Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City Role Model of the Year, while in 2008 the Staples store in Zona Rosa (Kansas City) was dedicated in his honor for his “Philanthropic Spirit.”

In 2015, Lefebvre was also named the recipient of the Olathe NAACP Diversity in Sports Award. He was also named one of the “25 Most Influential People” in the state of Kansas in 2014. In 2008, Lefebvre co-authored a book with Jeffrey Flanagan about his struggles with depression, titled: “The Shame of Me: One Man’s Journey to Depression and Back”.

Ryan and his wife, Sarah reside in Greenwood, Mo., with their three sons and daughter. Sarah, a Registered Nurse, has traveled with various organizations to Mexico, Thailand, India, Kenya, Haiti, and Guatemala to provide aid and medical services.

 

Brook Arnold is the Vice President/General Manager of KOAM TV in Joplin, MO. Brook has been in the broadcasting industry for 18 years. Armed with a degree in broadcast journalism, Brook learned quickly that the sales and advertising side of the business was where she belonged best. Working her way up from an account executive, she’s spent six years as the highly successful director of sales for WFIE TV in Evansville, IN, before coming to KOAM. Brook is currently on the KAB Board of Directors.

 

Roxanne Marati is a seasoned radio executive with over 20 years of experience and is Senior Vice President and Market Manager for Audacy Kansas City. Before her move to Kansas City in 2021, Roxanne served as Vice President of Sales for Audacy Denver.  She joined Audacy (then Entercom) in 2006, and has held roles overseeing New Business Development, Integrated Media and Events.  Roxanne is currently on the KAB Board of Directors.

 

Kathleen Choal is the Regional Vice President and General Manager for EW Scripps. Currently, Kathleen oversees 5 other general managers in her region. She has been the vice president and general manager of KSHB TV since 2019. Kathleen was previously general manager at KSBY in San Luis Obispo, California, from 2011 to 2019, helping lead impressive gains in revenue and ratings. In her career, she served as station manager and news director at KVOA in Tucson, Arizona, and also spent time at KMGH in Denver, WCCO in Minneapolis, KPRC in Houston and KVVU in Las Vegas among other career stops. A Wisconsin native, Kathleen received a degree in broadcast journalism at the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire.

 

Nicola (Nic) Merenda is the Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Media-Topeka. Merenda joined Cumulus from Pandora Media, Inc. in San Antonio, TX, where he was also Vice President of Sales for Clear Channel/iHeartMedia. Nic has over 25 years of experience in radio broadcasting. He was recognized as Entercom’s 2011 Sales Manager of the Year for his performance as General Sales Manager of KQRC-FM and KRBZ-FM in Mission, KS. Merenda began his broadcast, digital sales and leadership career in Chicago with stations including WMAQ, WSCR, WLUP, WKQX and WLS-AM, where he was Vice President and General Sales Manager. He has been married to his wife Sandi for 33 years and has three adult sons. Nic is currently on the KAB Board of Directors.

 

Justin Fluke is the president and owner of KNZA Radio Group, a local five-station cluster in Northeast Kansas. Justin is the Chairman of the KAB Board of Directors.

Justin’s radio career officially started as a volunteer on Christian station KREJ, where he was born and raised in Medicine Lodge, KS, and hosted a Sunday show through high school. While getting his broadcasting degree at Fort Hays State, he worked for Eagle Radio before accepting a job with KNZA Radio group in Hiawatha in 2001. Originally hired as the Sports Director, Fluke joined the sales world in 2006, then was promoted to the management team as vice-president in 2015 before joining the ownership group in 2017 and then taking over full ownership as president of the company in 2022.

 

With more than 30 years of experience in the field of engineering, Mike Pappas currently works as a field engineer and VP of Business Development for Orban.  In this role, he has installed all beta sites for Orban’s new XPN-AM audio processor and developed field-testing methodology to determine coverage impact when running MDCL on AM Transmitters. He was the past chair of the Colorado Chapter of the Audio Engineering Society and has held a number of memberships in a number of professional engineering groups.

 

Ian Punnett, MDiv, Ph.D., is professor of practice at Kansas State University where he specializes in researching and teaching Media Business and Entrepreneurship, Media History, podcasting, and serves as the chief operator/faculty advisor for Wildcat 91.9, recently voted the Best College Radio Station in the nation. While at K-State, Punnett has been honored more than three dozen times for his multi-platform creative work in audio, video, digital, and print.

During his 35-yearlong professional career, Punnett was most successful in hard rock morning radio through the ‘90s before Punnett switching to talk radio first at WGN/Chicago and later legendary talker WGST in Atlanta. At the same time, he was picked up by 600-affiliate overnight radio show Coast to Coast AM where he worked with the legendary Art Bell and later George Noory. Punnett continues to perform 2-5 a month on Coast to Coast from his home studio in Manhattan.

Before coming to K-State in 2018, Punnett published his fifth book, Toward a Theory of True Crime for Routledge Press, which was based on his groundbreaking dissertation that sought the line between traditional crime journalism and the multi-platform True Crime products. Punnett is considered an expert in True Crime narratives, with his dissertation cited 60 times in other scholarly works and he speaks internationally at various symposia on the media phenomenon.

Punnett’s has a wife of 38 years, Margery, and two sons.