Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Retired professional with a career including 11 years at Housing First Minnesota, 15 years at Greenspring Media Group/American Public Media, and 15 years at WCCO Radio/Midwest Radio Network. In retirement, I remain active in preserving Twin Cities radio broadcast history. With over 20 years as a radio historian, I continue to curate, preserve, and showcase Twin Cities historical audio recordings and materials through RadioTapes.com and serve as a contract broadcast archivist for the Minnesota Twins. This work involves meticulous archival management and advanced digitization techniques to ensure the integrity of these audio treasures. I am also committed to governance and community engagement as Vice Chair of the Pavek Museum of Electronic Communication, supporting efforts to showcase and educate the public on the evolution of electronic media. My professional background included producing major high-end home tours across ten states, achieving national accreditation for Contractor University, managing Minnesota’s Green Path, and overseeing numerous large-scale trade and consumer shows. Throughout my career, I have been honored with ten Excellence Awards from the Minnesota Media + Publishing Association and the Paul Foss Award from the Advertising Federation of Minnesota—presented annually to an individual who has made significant and lasting contributions to AdFed and the Minnesota advertising community.
RadioTapes Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that operates RadioTapes.com. For more than 20 years, the website has been dedicated to preserving and showcasing historical recordings from Minneapolis–St. Paul area radio stations, with airchecks dating back to 1924. Founded and owned by radio historian Tom Gavaras, the site features content contributed by a network of more than 100 collaborators. Its collection includes more than 2,500 audio recordings spanning a wide range of radio formats, historic broadcasts, and major news events.
Restoring and digitizing Minnesota Twins radio play-by-play broadcasts from reel-to-reel tapes from the mid-1960s through early 1990s.
I serve as Vice Chair on the Board of Directors of the The Pavek Museum of Electronic Communication, where I also participate in the Governance, Voting Members, and Finance committees. The Pavek Museum is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of electronic communication while providing a learning environment for those passionate about the science of electromagnetism and sound. The museum is home to one of the world’s most outstanding collections of antique radios, televisions, and broadcast equipment.
Responsibilities included overseeing and managing the following programs and events, with full P&L accountability: Housing First Minnesota Events: Includes the Parade of Homes, Artisan Home Tour, The BIG Night, Builders and Remodelers Show (BRS), Golf Open, Clay Shoot, Housing Day at the Capitol, State of the Industry, and more. Contractor University: Provides online and webinar-based continuing education courses for Minnesota and Wisconsin builders, Minnesota building officials, and Minnesota Realtors. Courses are eligible for CEUs through the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Minnesota Department of Commerce, and Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services. Achieved national accreditation for Contractor University through the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). Annually, more than 5,000 CE courses are completed through Contractor University and Housing First Minnesota. Minnesota's Green Path: The state’s leading residential green building program, which includes hosting the annual Green Path Building Conference. Housing Pro Certified: A workforce development program designed to support and certify professionals in the housing industry.
Oversaw event operations and marketing for Greenspring Media's consumer shows, including the Minnesota Monthly Food & Wine Experience (Target Field/Minneapolis Convention Center), Midwest Home Show/Fall Home & Garden Show (Minneapolis Convention Center), Minnesota Monthly GrillFest (The Depot Minneapolis), Midwest Home Luxury Home Tour (various Twin Cities locations), and Midwest Home Loft and Condo Tour (various Twin Cities locations). Previously managed Super Bowl home tours for the NFL Alumni in San Diego, Houston, Jacksonville, Detroit, Miami, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Additionally produced Luxury Home Tour events in Chicago, Fort Myers/Naples, Tampa/St. Petersburg, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Indianapolis, and Charlotte, as well as the Twin Cities Fresh Taste Festival (Nicollet Island Pavilion) and the Home Furnishings, Kitchen, Bath, and Design Show (International Market Square).