2015 Board of Directors Candidate Statements
Linda Bacigalupi, Hotchkiss, Colorado
My name is Linda Bacigalupi, and I've lived in the North Fork Valley on and off since the early 70's. KVNF has been a part of my life since it went on the air in 1979. I'm currently at the end of my second term on the NFVPR Board. For the last few months, I have also been sharing the tasks of General Manager as the board conducts its search for a new leader to fill this position. While the KVNF board is not a standoff-ish remote board, neither is it involved in all the day-to-day operations of the station. My last few months have been filled with a new appreciation for the many skills and talents we would like our new GM to possess, but also for the MANY, MANY hearts, minds, and hands that go into making KVNF an important part of our lives and communities every day.
KVNF is at a challenging place in its life's growth curve. We have many projects underway to increase relevancy and grow our membership to support a new level of service and programming. I'm running again for a seat on the board because there is still a lot to do and I think it's important to have institutional memory and continuity during a transitional period.
Brian Calvert, Paonia, Colorado
My name is Brian Calvert, and I'm currently the managing editor of High Country News, an award-winning magazine that is based right here in Paonia, Colorado. High Country News covers the entire West, and so having our headquarters in Paonia is great, because it keeps us in touch with rural communities in the region. In many ways, this is the ideal job for me--I grew up in a small town in Wyoming, became a foreign correspondent, in both print and radio, and returned to the US several years ago to bring what I've learned back to the region I love. Along the way, I actually applied for a job at KVNF, in 2013, though in the interim I was offered a fellowship at the Center for Environmental Journalism, in Boulder, which I accepted and which led me back here, though for HCN.
I find my position at the magazine only slightly wanting, in that I don't have a direct connection or impact in the community I live in. That connection is one surely felt by the staff and board of KVNF, and I would like to be a part of the experience that only community radio can provide. I would bring to the KVNF board my experience as a journalist, my experience in radio, my experience in Western communities, and my love for small-town living, in an effort to help guide the station in its journalistic endeavors. I feel I have valuable input to offer, being already familiar with KVNF and its news programming, and having already, on one occasion, collaborated with KVNF on a live-streaming news forum that examined the prospects of "megadrought" in the West.
I arrived in Paonia in May, 2014. By December, I had bought a house. In May, I was promoted to my current position. It is safe to say that I am ready to call Paonia my home for some time to come, and that I am looking for ways to be a part of my new town. A membership to KVNF'sboard would provide me a wonderful opportunity to do so, which is why I intend to run.
Cynthia Hines, Crawford, Colorado
As you know, I was appointed to the Board of Directors (BOD) in June 2015 to fill the vacancy of Treasurer. This is my official letter of intent to run for the position of Director in the October 2015 election.
My first involvement with KVNF Community Radio was in 1997 as a member of the Community Advisory Board (CAB). This was a turbulent time in KVNF’s history and serving on the CAB was a valuable education in understanding community radio and the process of grassroots democracy. These important principles remain a primary reason for my steadfast commitment to KVNF.
Later that year, I became a DJ with my husband, Todd, and we’ve been on the air ever since, hosting Blues & Other Colors on Tuesday afternoons for over 16 years. We take the privilege of being a DJ very seriously and are gratified to receive consistent, long-term support from listeners throughout the region.
The power of the connection with our listeners is rewarding and humbling and a perspective that would inform my participation on the BOD. I have previously served on the BOD on two separate occasions, including the time before, during and after KVNF’s relocation to our present facility. I’ve held the offices of Treasurer, Vice President and President. I’ve participated in the search for a General Manager (GM) on two different occasions. I was utterly dedicated to cementing the value of outreach to our entire listening area and facilitated an active, robust CAB. I advocated for ongoing development of KVNF’s revenue streams, particularly underwriting, and responsible, realistic and transparent financial management. Codifying financial transparency in KVNF’s By-laws remains a priority for me.
My previous professional experience as a Systems Engineer, Account Executive, and Organizational Development Consultant leave me with skills helpful to addressing the technical, marketing and cultural issues KVNF currently faces. If elected, I would advocate for organizational transparency in decision making and finances, the creation and adherence to a realistic budget, growing our revenue streams, deepening our relationship with all of our communities and championing the importance of music programming and the DJs who make it happen.
As a member of the current committee conducting the search for our next General Manager, I’m committed to supporting our new GM, BOD, staff and volunteers make the transition to KVNF’s next chapter. Even though we face a number of challenges, I’m optimistic and enthusiastic about KVNF’s future and would like to make a meaningful contribution.