People

Alex McConachie is a community engagement associate at Northern Public Radio. He has worked at the station in several different capacities in the Business and Development departments and is now assisting with the station's outreach and...

Corporate Support Representative Bill Braksick is a newcomer to Northern Public Radio, but a longtime listener. He discovered NPR in his early 20s, and is thrilled to be associated with public radio three decades later, drumming up underwriting...

Chase started in radio while earning his Master's in diplomacy and international commerce at the University of Kentucky.  He was bitten by the radio bug while volunteering at Radio Eye (a local equivalent to

Claire earned a B.A. and M.A. in communication from Northern Illinois University. She joined WNIJ in 2018 as All Things Considered producer. That shift didn't start early enough, though, so now Claire comes in before the sun to produce Morning...

Clint Cargile has worked as an English instructor, freelance writer, magazine editor, academic conference coordinator, landscaper, dish washer, car washer, dog washer, and veterinary assistant. He has a BA in English from the University of...

Connie Kuntz comes to WNIJ by way of Rockford Writers’ Guild where she has been an editor and book reviewer since 2011.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre from Cornell College and specializes in playwriting.  She most recently wrote...

Good morning, Early Riser! Since 1997 I've been waking WNIJ listeners with the latest news, weather, and program information with the goal of seamlessly weaving this content into NPR's Morning Edition.

Since January, 2018, I've been...

Donna Reid, Director of Finance & Administration for Northern Public Radio, is responsible for the day-to-day business and administrative management of the stations.  There is no shortage of paperwork or people flowing in and out of her...

Doug coordinates the Northern Illinois Radio Information Service (NIRIS) activities at our DeKalb studios.  If you've ever been a NIRIS volunteer in DeKalb, you've worked with Doug.  When he's not buried beneath stacks of newspapers in the...

Eric Hradecky is Northern Public Radio’s Production Director.  Eric also works closely with our operations department, which is a fancy way of saying he coordinates the daily logs and automation functions of WNIJ and WNIU.  He fell in love with...

Guy Stephens produces news stories for the station, and coordinates our online events calendar, PSAs and Arts Calendar announcements.  In each of these ways, Guy helps keep our listening community informed about what's going on, whether on a...

Janet Fischer is a Corporate Support representative (another way of saying "sales rep").  She develops partnerships with local businesses, connecting them to the public radio audience through short, tasteful announcements in an uncluttered...

Jenna Dooley has spent her professional career in public radio. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois - Springfield. She returned to Northern Public Radio in...

Peter is an education reporter for the station. He is a graduate of North Central College where he was the news editor of their student-run news magazine and website “NCCLinked,” as well as a host for their pure rock radio station...

Philip Masterton (“Phil”, nobody calls me Philip) was born just outside Dublin, Ireland and emigrated with his family as a lad. Growing up in Chicago’s northern suburbs he eventually graduated from Loyola University of Chicago with a degree in...

Sarah Jesmer is a reporter focused on stories of justice, religion, human rights and agriculture. She grew up in DeKalb as a Canadian American, and studied multimedia journalism at Concordia University in Montreal. There, she covered countless...

Staci Hoste joined the stations in 2008 and is responsible for the stations' general operations and overall strategy.  She’s been a lifelong listener to WNIJ and WNIU -- first as a “prisoner of public radio” in her parents' backseat, and now of...

Susan’s parents should have known she’d end up in radio: her favorite toys were tape recorders, cameras, notepads, and books. Many years later, she’s an award-winning reporter at her favorite radio station. Formerly WNIJ’s News Director, she...