Please rank ALL of these candidates as your top choices (1-3), in any order you prefer, if you are a staff member of KPFT. They are listed here in alphabetical order by last name.
Danielle Allen
Staff Candidate Statement for the KPFT Local Station Board
My name is Danielle Allen and I would like to submit my name as a candnidate for the Local Station Board. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications with a focus in Investigative Journalism. I have served on serval non-profit boards and implemented the employee volunteer program for the City of Lake Charles.
I have worked with The Prison Show directly for a number of years now and have been a loyal listener since moving to Texas in 2003.
I possess many skills useful in being a board member including the capacity to stand up to tremendous opposition and pressure. I have a great sense of humor. I have the ability to resis the temptation to abuse power. I have worked with Roberts Rules of Order. Am extremely comfortable using the Internet and email. I have the ability to compromise. Have the ability to do the work required of the specific position. I have the ability to make difficult decisions which may be unpopular. Work consistently in a collaborative process. I have the ability to inquire and investigate areas of concern pertaining to KPFT and Pacifica Foundation. But most of al I am honest, I have integrity, and I have a commitment to the Pacifica Mission.
Answers to Candidate Questionnaire
1. Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board?
Because I love KPFT and have a tremendous amount of respect for the people that started this station. I want to be a part of continuing the long tradition of working together to create quality entertainment while educating the public.
2. How do you envision the Local Station Board working with the Pacifica Foundation, your station, and the community?
Working as a team to formulate diverse entertainment and educational programming
3. How could the station better serve its listeners?
Simple, to actually listen to its listeners.
4. Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in underrepresented communities and to increase the diversity of the listening audience?
Specifically target and ask these communities what they want to hear. And again, listen to them and not assume.
5. What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel your station should solicit?
Federal Grants and Corporation donations without advertising.
6. Please state briefly the skills, experience, educational background, workhistory, organizational affiliations, areas of community service, areas of interest and expertise that you would bring to the Pacifica network as a member of the Local Station Board.
I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication from McNeese University with a focus in Investigative Journalism. I’ve worked for several non-profit organizations including being appointed by the Mayor of Lake Charles in 1992 to implement and serve with the employee volunteer program which used Roberts Rules of Order. I worked for KDOL radio in Livingston for two years and have been with The Prison Show for over a year.
7. Do you anticipate missing any Local Station Board meetings due to family or job related problems or inadequate transportation?
I do not anticipate any of these issues.
8. On which Local Station Board committees are you interested in actively serving? If you are a current Local Station Board member, on which committees do you currently serve?
Fundraising and Audit Committees.
Mike Allen Lewis
Staff Candidate Statement for the KPFT Local Station Board
My name is Mike Allen Lewis. I am running as a Staff candidate for the Local Station Board. I have been on the Local Station for the past few years as a Elected Listener Member as well as Elected Staff Member. I have been a very proud member of the Local Station Board. I am a Bachelors of Science graduate of communications from the University of Houston Downtown. I have over 25 years of broadcasting experience. I know how to reach out to the diverse community of Houston. I learned that skill while attending a very diverse university.
I have worked on several radio programs at KPFT 90.1 the Prison Show, Arab voices, Execution Watch and Cultural Baggage. I have run the Board answered phones hosted and worked on evetns for the station since 2012. I have worked on pledge drives at the station aas well as signed up new members for KPFT. I have also collected pledges across the broadcast area.
The events that I worked on for the prison show Rehab Contempary Art Museum Prison Art exhibits. I also worked on Deadbeat Ball at Dan Electros and the Watermelon Dance Socials at Last Concert Café. I have gone to March Against the Death Penalty in Huntsville Texas. Have met with familys that have loved ones that are incarcerated in TDC. I am a voice for the voiceless. I have worked with Ray Hill my icon on the Prison Show. He has taught me how to reach out to the community and pledge as well. I enjoy working with the diverse prison show staff. While on the Local Station Board I have witnessed in fighting. I have been doing my best to get the Board to work together reach out to the listeners and b bring in new members especially younger members as well. We need to create more diverse programs and reach out to our community and find out how to better serve them. All Board Memers should serve KPFT with Integrity and not their Personal Agenda. I will do my best to work with the LSB and make sure we follow the Bylaws and use Robert Rules accordingly. Also search for the best general manager for the station to help move KPFT 90.1 FM into the 21st century.
Yours
Mike Allen Lewis
Answers to Candidate Questionnaire
1. Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board?
The reason I want to return to the Local Station Board. I would like to reach out to the community that KPFT broadcasts too and represent our listeners I know the community well. I have lived here all of my life.
2. How do you envision the Local Station Board working with the Pacifica Foundation, your station, and the community?
I would like to see Local Station Board work with Pacifica Foundation and reach out to the community ask them home we can better serve them by meeting with them outside in the community not just at the LSB meeting or at the station.
3. How could the station better serve its listeners?
The station could better serve the community by communicating with the listeners though calling station writing to listens and emails. As well as FaceBook
4. Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in underrepresented communities and to increase the diversity of the listening audience?
Like to see more townhall meetings and events that the station could reach out to on communities that do not know about KPFT. Lets let the Mighty 90 represent the area which it broadcasts too
5. What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel your station should solicit?
The other sources of funding besides pledge drives, could be more outside events parades. Also look into underwriting.
6. Please state briefly the skills, experience, educational background, workhistory, organizational affiliations, areas of community service, areas of interest and expertise that you would bring to the Pacifica network as a member of the Local Station Board.
I have a BS in Communications from the University of Houston Downtown. I have over 25 years of broadcast experience in TV Radio and Journalism. I know how to work with a diverse group of people. I learned that skill at UHD and on the Prison Show. I have also learned how to dissolve conflicts and bring them together peacefully. That is Pacificas Agenda
7. Do you anticipate missing any Local Station Board meetings due to family or job related problems or inadequate transportation?
I have only missed one meeting in the past years. I had to miss only one due to my father passing away.
8. On which Local Station Board committees are you interested in actively serving? If you are a current Local Station Board member, on which committees do you currently serve?
I would like to serve in the programming committes research building committees as well as Events committes. Had worked of programming in the past
Egberto Willies
Staff Candidate Statement for the KPFT Local Station Board
My name is Egberto Willies. I am currently the host of Politics Done Right on KPFT which airs at 3:00 PM every Thursday. I have served on the boards of several non-profits over the years and will be honored if elected to serve on the KPFT Local Station Board. My intent is to be as helpful to the KPFT management and staff to move the station forward to attract more listeners and viewers through multiple media avenues and to search for new ways of ethical funding. I will use my expertise in running my own media
company which includes various websites and multimedia channels to provide constructive suggestions to both the board and to management. Most importantly I will use the skills I learned in several
organization to create a more inclusive, respectful, and civil form of dialogue debate, and idea exchange.
I am a current Board Member at Coffee Party USA and Indivisible Houston. I am a contributing editor at DailyKos.com where I have a weekly article that appears on the front page every Sunday. My writings can be found throughout the Progressive Blogosphere including sites like OpEdNews.com, RawStory.com, CommonDreams.com, and many others. I hope that ultimately our website, the KPFT website, will become one of the go-to repositories of Progressive news and information.
I ask for your vote and promise to do my best to be a net positive addition to the board. KPFT is a gem I believe in and will work to keep.
Answers to Candidate Questionnaire
1. Why do you want to be on the Local Station Board?
I want to be on the Local Station Board to help move forward with new ideas.
2. How do you envision the Local Station Board working with the Pacifica Foundation, your station, and the community?
I envision the Local Station board working with the Pacifica foundation, KPFT, and community in a strategic stance providing and soliciting new ideas.
3. How could the station better serve its listeners?
KPFT can better serve its listeners by engaging social media and more community functions. It should be KPFT everywhere.
4. Describe some actions you would take to increase the influence of the station in underrepresented communities and to increase the diversity of the listening audience?
To establish more KPFT influence in underrepresented communities we need to go there. We must go to their functions and become a familiar entity to them. It is on us to go there if we want to have their trust.
5. What sources of funding, other than listener donations, do you feel your station should solicit?
As a new source of funding we should consider grants from reputable non-profits and other charitable entities.
6. Please state briefly the skills, experience, educational background, workhistory, organizational affiliations, areas of community service, areas of interest and expertise that you would bring to the Pacifica network as a member of the Local Station Board.
I am a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. I have worked in teams on every job I’ve had. Since forming my own software company, I’ve had to learn to prioritize a skill that is necessary for all organizations. As a member of several boards, I’ve had to understand human interpersonal dynamic to ensure that differences at all levels do not stop progress. I have been successful at that in every group I have
worked with.
7. Do you anticipate missing any Local Station Board meetings due to family or job related problems or inadequate transportation?
I do not anticipate missing meetings based on family or organizations or jobs.
8. On which Local Station Board committees are you interested in actively serving? If you are a current Local Station Board member, on which committees do you currently serve?
I do not anticipate missing meetings based on family or organizations or jobs.