CBI Board Elections: Candidate Statements

Please consider participating in the CBI Board Elections. Electronic ballots are sent to the email account associated with your CBI membership. Statements from candidates are available below:

Candidate Statements: Vice President

Sean McDonald
My name is Sean McDonald, and I am the Director of Neumann Media at Neumann University, overseeing radio and television. I founded Neumann’s radio station after working my last two years of college at WMMR in Philadelphia, and I keep my foot in the commercial world as a way to give students the best creative experiences possible. If I were to be elected to CBI, I would love to share the professional connection I have with other students and colleagues. I firmly believe in hands on approaches to media, and I would work to give members more opportunities to network and be mentored by professionals in the industry throughout the year. I am deeply passionate about student media, and I will bring that passion to the board if I am elected.

John Owens
My name is Dr. John Owens and I am the faculty advisor for BearCast Media at the University of Cincinnati. My experience advising student media began in the early ‘90s as the graduate student manager of WVUA-FM at the University of Alabama. In my first full-time teaching position at Western Carolina University, I advised WWCU-FM and then came to the University of Cincinnati in the fall of 1999 with the challenge of starting a student-run, streaming radio station. In January of 2001, BearCast Radio began regular operations and, with the development of more robust video production efforts, it was eventually rebranded as BearCast Media.I continue to support student media and C.B.I. because I believe they are incredible centers of creativity and diversity. In fact, I believe the commercial media industry would benefit a great deal by establishing stronger partnerships with college media as hubs for research and development. I maintain very strong relationships with industry professionals across radio and television and believe this can clearly benefit me in the role of Vice President of College Broadcasters Inc.

Candidate Statements: IT Content Director

Paul Krempasky
Currently I am General Manager of WMUH-FM at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. I began as a community volunteer in the early 1980s and became General Manager in 2017. I also teach for the Department of Media and Communications. My education includes degrees from Rider College, Kutztown University, Lehigh and Rutgers. Over the past three years I have worked with our staff to increase the WMUH presence within the digital space using a variety of social media platforms and the design, development and launch of a stand-alone website. Prior to becoming General Manager I developed synchronous and asynchronous learning and web content for business, industry and the military. I believe my education and experience in Instructional Design and Development will prove helpful in the position of IT Content Director with CBI and welcome the opportunity to promote the mission and message of CBI throughout the digital landscape.

Chris Keppler
Chris Keppler is a two-time graduate of The University of Akron, where he now works as a full-time faculty member in the Media Studies area of the School of Communication, general manager of WZIP-FM and School Internship Coordinator. He is currently CBI’s IT Content Director. WZIP membership has increased significantly since Keppler began six years ago. He has streamlined training procedures to reduce redundancy and concentrate on some other training aspects that were previously ignored. Keppler has also introduced students to CBI and what it has to offer by encouraging them to compete in the National Student Production Awards contest and also by securing funding that allows students to attend the national convention. Chris Keppler also spent about 20 years working in broadcasting, mainly in radio/multimedia newsrooms, winning multiple first place awards from the Ohio Associated Press, including Best Reporter, Best Broadcast Writing, Best Enterprise Reporting, Best Feature News and others in addition to securing regional Edward R. Murrow nods. He still provides public affairs programming and serves as the fill-in morning drive news anchor for a radio group in Akron, OH. Goals for the next term include continuing to update some of the static information on CBI’s website. Social media engagement is up, overall, signaling an ideal time to develop a more consistent social media plan that should combine CBI’s board-driven promotional goals while also growing CBI’s following. Keppler believes that being a member of this board is a privilege, and he respectfully asks for the opportunity to continue for the next three-year term.

Candidate Statement: Student Representative

Marye Amanda McDaniel
I am currently a DJ and the Production Director at WZMB, East Carolina University’s campus radio station. I have been at the station since my freshman year, and it has been the highlight of my college experience. I host The Songwriter Series where I showcase local and national singer/songwriters. As the Production Director, I record and edit audio for the station, and I also design our graphics. I would like to serve as the student representative because I understand the importance of student broadcasting. College radio stations give students first-hand experience in broadcasting that prepares them for the future. College radio gives students a voice. I do not take it for granted that it is a privilege to go on air to speak and share music that brings us together. I want to represent my fellow college broadcasters because I understand the importance and the need for college radio.