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Jeff St. Clair
Fund Drive Producer

“I grew up with WKSU. Literally. I remember listening to 89.7 on Sunday evenings when I was a kid, dreading Monday and the coming school week, and there it was: a mysterious, grown-up world that came to me through an ordinary clock radio. I discovered music—classical and folk—that existed far beyond the mind-numbing and pervasive Top 40. Listening to public radio became the ultimate teenage rebellion!

It’s been over 20 years since I started listening to WKSU; yet throughout those early listening years, it never occurred to me that I might someday make my living in radio. After working many years as an analytical chemist, early in 1999 I took a part-time position at WKSU as a broadcast aide. I sorted CDs in the music library, began hosting the Sunday local performance show, In-Performance, and gradually learned that the real ‘magic’ of radio was simply old-fashioned hard work.

I finally shed the lab-coat and joined WKSU full-time as the Development Producer in December 2000. True, I had been a fan almost as far back as I could remember, but Fund Drive Producer? Yikes! Like they say—‘Sometimes you really need to jump in over your head!’ Finding fresh ways to solicit listener support is a daunting task, but my profound belief in public radio and, more importantly, in WKSU makes mine a labor of love.

As I have come to discover, paying for this great station isn’t easy. As Development Producer, I edit programs, create fundraising materials, produce pitch breaks, and coach the on-air staff. But, in all honesty, the best part of my job is meeting and talking with listeners. It is unbelievably gratifying and energizing to hear from a WKSU listener that 89.7 matters to them. I am doubly committed to providing the highest quality public service whenever I speak to a WKSU member. After all, here is someone who not only listens to the station, but also takes the effort to help make it happen.

WKSU is a public service that requires public support. As long as WKSU continues to serve the needs of Northeast Ohio—whether it’s for news, music, or other smart stuff—I know that listeners like you and me will continue to join together to make it possible. WKSU is one of those rare places where creativity and technology come together to create a product that touches your intellect and your soul—it makes you laugh and carries you through times of reflection. Who knows, maybe a kid listening somewhere will be inspired to make the world a better place because of something he or she heard on WKSU. And that’s something that can make us all proud.”

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