In 1964, I took a part time announcing job on my hometown radio station WATK in Antigo, Wisconsin. I thought it would be a fun way to earn a little money while waiting for a “real job” to come along.

It’s hard to believe that I’ve spent around 60 years doing something that I really enjoy and I’m very thankful for the opportunities that radio has provided me over the years.

I ended up in the Twin Ports while in the Air Force and worked part time on WAKX starting in 1969.

After four years in the Air Force, I spent over 20 years at WAKX in Duluth including over ten years as part of the popular “RJ and Dave” morning show.

Since 1992, I’ve been on the air and in the newsroom here at KDAL and hosted the Saturday Night Oldies Party on what was then 96 LITE, currently MY 95.7.

Now, it’s my real pleasure to be co-hosting the KDAL Morning Show with Jackie Jacobi while keeping our listeners informed and entertained every day from 6 to 10 a-m.

It’s always a little tough rolling out of bed so early in the morning, but I still get a rush out of being on the radio.

I’ve met and worked with a lot of great people over these many years and everyday is a new adventure as my search for that “real job” continues.

Welp, I was born in St. Louis, MO but after moving a few times, I mostly grew up in Mankato, MN. I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus with an English degree & teaching certification but as luck would have it, I accidentally fell into radio. With a speech & theater background, I landed a spontaneous interview at KDOG, in Mankato and I was asked what books I was reading. I replied, “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. They asked me to start on their morning show “on Monday”. And so I learned radio on the fly – and fell in love with it.

My husband and I eventually moved to Indiana for his job & being impatient for an interview with a Fort Wayne radio station, I showed up a day early. I was tired of being at home & still unemployed. It was for WBTU, a Fort Wayne station in the top 100 market. They asked if I was familiar with country music. I replied, “Nope. I’ve been making fun of it for years.” Again, “Can you start on Monday?” (Seriously.)

Eventually my husband’s job took us back to MN where he had a job in Silver Bay. I saw the ‘antenna farm’ as we came over the bridge through Superior and I said, “I’m thinking radio might be a thing for me here.” I applied at Midwest Communications, and soon I was once again on the air. I stayed with and enjoyed radio until our son was born in April of ‘04

Sprinkled in there are brief stints of teaching English, and a longer bit where we raised and I homeschooled our son until he was in 7th grade. Other jobs happened, but I always missed doing radio. Once the lad was grown & on his own twenty years later, I again darkened the doorstep of Midwest Communications. So in June of 2024, they welcomed me back to the KDAL airwaves where I was overjoyed to work with my dear old friends Dave Strandberg, Bruce Ciskie, and Neill Atkins. This past February there was a glitch with my eyes in that I had a retinal detachment in my good eye, which left me unable to safely drive from Two Harbors to Duluth. And here we are.

I am delighted once again to work with some seasoned & talented folks, meet interesting and amazing people, and wreak a little havoc on the air with Dave & Bruce. I’ve told my husband this is my ‘retirement job’, though we’re not quite yet retired. I enjoy it enough to pop out of bed at 4 am and plan to continue for the long-distance & foreseeable future. Thank you for tuning in and I hope you enjoy what you hear because I am absolutely enjoying what I do.