WDET Staff

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Meet the group of awesome people that keep your favorite radio station up and running.

Leadership Programming News Digital Content Music Hosts Audio Engineering Underwriting Events Operations Interns

Leadership

Mary Zatina

General Manager
Mary Zatina returned to WDET as General Manager in 2020. She is responsible for all aspects of the station’s public service to the community. Prior to her position in radio, Mary held senior leadership roles in healthcare, advertising, and energy sectors as well as public service with the State of Michigan Governor’s Office. A lifelong Detroiter, Mary volunteers with numerous non-profit community and professional groups in metro Detroit.
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Adam Fox

Program Director
A proponent of progressive, community-focused media, art, and music with over 15 years of senior leadership experience, Adam Fox brings a broad experience managing radio, media and arts initiatives, as well as exhibitions development, and music programming across all genres. As Program Director for 101.9 WDET, Fox oversees local and national current affairs, music, and mixed format offerings and production on WDET, and is responsible for ensuring its relevancy to the Metro Detroit community.

Born and raised across the Detroit River in Windsor-Essex, Ontario, Canada, Fox grew up listening to Detroit radio, including and WDET. Years later, he led Windsor’s community radio station, CJAM, as music programming director and station manager, oversaw programming and content for Alberta’s public radio network, and most recently directed programming for Canada’s National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta.
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Jerome Vaughn

News Director
Jerome Vaughn is News Director at 101.9 WDET. His interest in news reporting began when he was five years old, after his mom bought him a yellow Panasonic ball and chain radio.
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Carmen Garcia

Associate Director of Philanthropy
Carmen Garcia is Associate Director of Philanthropy for 101.9 WDET and wears many hats, all of which build relationships for WDET.
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Derek Donnellon

Associate Director of Revenue
Derek Donnellon is the Associate Director of Revenue for 101.9 WDET.
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Diane Sanders

Manager, Strategic Initiatives
Diane Sanders is the Manager of Strategic Initiatives at 101.9 WDET. She oversees the Detroit Reading Information Service (DRIS) and our internship program.
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Susan Hanchett-Nowinski

Director of Marketing & Communications
Susan Hanchett-Nowinski is the Director of Marketing & Communications for 101.9 WDET. She is responsible for the station’s marketing and branding campaigns.
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Programming

Stephen Henderson

Host, Created Equal
Stephen Henderson is the host of Created Equal on 101.9 WDET and a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. He is the Executive Editor of BridgeDetroit and the host of American Black Journal on Detroit Public Television.

Tia Graham

Host, The Metro
Tia Graham is a Detroit native, born and raised on the city’s westside. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Tia has covered a diverse expanse of topics: science, environment and arts, to racial, gender and economic equity, in addition to politics, including President Obama’s trip to Lansing in 2014. She’s worked with Detroit Public Television as a studio producer for the award-winning news show American Black Journal and other DPTV shows. Tia is also a former traffic reporter with WWJ Newsradio 950 and WDET Weekend Edition host. She joined the CultureShift team as a host and producer in 2022 to bring her passion for Detroit’s arts, music and culture to WDET listeners.
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Robyn Vincent

Host, The Metro

Robyn Vincent is one of the hosts of The Metro on 101.9 WDET. Before returning home to Detroit, Robyn was a reporter, producer, editor, and executive producer for NPR stations in the Mountain West. She amassed several awards for her work, which often focuses on structural inequities and abuses of power. Robyn is a lifelong listener of WDET, a graduate of Wayne State University, where she studied journalism, and a lover of Detroit techno.

Sam Corey

Producer, The Metro
Sam Corey is a producer for 101.9 WDET, which includes finding and preparing interesting stories for the daily news, arts and culture program, The Metro. Sam joined WDET after a year and a half at The Union, a small newspaper in California, and stints at a variety of local Michigan outlets, including WUOM and the Metro Times. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago.
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Jack Filbrandt

Assistant Producer, The Metro

Jack is an assistant producer on WDET’s news, arts and culture program, The Metro. He grew up on Lake Michigan and has called Detroit home for seven years. He’s also a Detroit Documenter, covering local government meetings in the city. He previously worked for Wayne State’s student newspaper, The South End, and The Battering Ram.

Ryan Patrick Hooper

Host, In the Groove
Ryan Patrick Hooper is an award-winning host and producer on 101.9 WDET. As a longtime arts and culture reporter and photographer, Hooper has covered stories for NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste. He was awarded the RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for feature reporting in 2020. His juggalo-inspired I.C.Pizza costume was selected by the Huffington Post as one of the best Halloween costumes of 2014.
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David Leins

Sr. Producer, Podcast Manager
David Leins is the senior producer of WDET’s daily news and public affairs programs Created Equal and the Metro. He has produced several award-winning podcasts and multimedia series at WDET including Tracked and Traced, Science of Grief and COVID Diaries, which earned a National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation. He previously led WDET’s StoryMakers program. David has an M.A. in Media Arts and Studies from Wayne State University, and a B.A. in anthropology from Grand Valley State University with a minor in Arabic. David teaches podcasting at Wayne State University and is an alumnus of the Transom Audio Storytelling Workshop
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Cheyna Roth

Host, MichMash

Cheyna Roth is the co-host and creator of WDET’s state politics podcast,  MichMash, 101.9 WDET’s weekly podcast covering Michigan politics. She has been an audio journalist for almost a decade, covering major events like presidential elections, college scandals, the Michigan Legislature, and more, appearing on NPR and across Michigan public radio stations. Cheyna is also a senior producer and podcast host for Slate.com, having produced and hosted shows like Political Gabfest, The Waves, and What Next TBD. Also an author, Cheyna has written two true crime books and her written work has appeared in Broadly, Slate, and MLive, among others.

Nick Austin

Freelancer
Nick Austin is a former WDET host who continues to contribute stories impacting our community.
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News

Pat Batcheller

Host, Morning Edition; Senior News Editor
Pat Batcheller is a host and Senior News Editor for 101.9 WDET, presenting local news, traffic and weather updates during Morning Edition. He is an amateur musician.

Quinn Klinefelter

Senior News Editor
Quinn Klinefelter is a host and Senior News Editor for 101.9 WDET, anchoring midday newscasts and reporting stories for WDET, NPR and the BBC. He was literally on top of the news when he finished an interview with then-Senator Bob Dole by stepping on his shoes.

Sascha Raiyn

Education Reporter
Sascha Raiyn is Education Reporter at 101.9 WDET. She is a native Detroiter who grew up listening to news and music programming on Detroit Public Radio.

Russ McNamara

Host, All Things Considered
Russ McNamara is the host of All Things Considered for 101.9 WDET, presenting local news to the station’s loyal listeners. He’s been an avid listener of WDET since he moved to Metro Detroit in 2002.

Amanda LeClaire

Reporter / CuriosiD Producer
Amanda LeClaire is an award-winning host and producer on 101.9 WDET. She’s reported on stories as diverse as the decriminalization of psychedelic substances, the economic and environmental impact of mineral mining in Wyoming, how anomalous phenomena and research into UAPs has affected the lives of some people in the Southwest, and the impact of President Barack Obama’s historic 2008 election night in Detroit. Amanda is also a creative writer, artist, certified intuitive and energy healer, and professional tarot reader.
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Nargis Hakim Rahman

Civic Reporter
Nargis Hakim Rahman is the Civic Reporter at 101.9 WDET. Rahman graduated from Wayne State University, where she was a part of the Journalism Institute of Media Diversity.

Alex McLenon

Reporter
Alex McLenon is an Associate Reporter/Producer with 101.9 WDET. McLenon is a graduate of Wayne State University, where he studied Media Arts & Production and Broadcast Journalism.
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Hernz Laguerre, Jr.

Multimedia Journalist; Producer, MichMash
Hernz Laguerre Jr. is a Multimedia Journalist at 101.9 WDET. He co-hosts the Detroit Evening Report, produces MichMash, and reports on arts, culture and politics. He graduated from Syracuse University: S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications with a Bachelors in Broadcast and Digital Journalism and a Masters in Television Radio and Film.

Bre’Anna Tinsley

Bre’Anna Tinsley is a Reporter for 101.9 WDET. She co-hosts the Detroit Evening Report and covers city government and housing. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a Bachelors in Journalism, and is also a licensed real estate agent. Fun fact: Her great-grandmother was Detroit blues singer Alberta Adams.


Digital Content

Jenny Sherman

Digital Editor
Jenny Sherman is the Digital Editor for 101.9 WDET. She received her bachelor’s in journalism from Michigan State University and has worked for more than a decade as a reporter and editor for various media outlets throughout metro Detroit. When she’s not behind a desk, you might find her at the park with her husband and two boys, Milo and Theodore, or perusing the vinyl at her local record store.
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Sophia Jozwiak

Digital Content & Communities Assistant
Sophia Jozwiak is the Digital Content & Communities Assistant for 101.9 WDET, supporting the adaptation of radio content for digital platforms and monitoring social media engagement. Her favorite time to listen to the station is while crafting.
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Music Hosts

Ann Delisi

Host, Ann Delisi’s Essential Music
Ann Delisi hosts Essential Music, the Essential Conversations podcast series and the Essential Cooking broadcast and podcast. Born and raised in the Motor City, Ann is a broadcaster, interviewer, producer, music host, storyteller and proud Detroiter.
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Chris Campbell

Host, The Progressive Underground
Chris Campbell hosts The Progressive Underground on 101.9 WDET. He has a deep interest in curating Detroit’s rich music scene and presenting it to the world-at-large.
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Ed Love

Host, Destination Jazz: The Ed Love Program
For more than 37 years, Ed has delighted listeners with Destination Jazz: The Ed Love Program on Saturdays weekdays from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on 101.9 WDET. Starting in 1960, he worked at various stations throughout Detroit until finally joining WDET in 1983.

Jon Moshier

Host, Modern Music
Jon Moshier is the host of Modern Music on 101.9 WDET. Always with an ear to the underground, Moshier presents the best in new music and emerging artists each week.
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Rob Reinhart

Host, Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music, Acoustic Cafe, CultureShift
Rob Reinhart is the host of WDET’s Essential Music, CultureShift and the syndicated program Acoustic Cafe, heard on 125 stations around the country, and stations from Greece to New Zealand. He’s voted in 10 presidential elections: 4 wins, 6 losses.
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Ismael Ahmed

Host, This Island Earth
Ismael Ahmed is the host of This Island Earth on 101.9 WDET. The son of first-generation immigrants, Ismael Ahmed is co-founder of The Arab American National Museum in Dearborn and now serves as an executive member of its advisory board.

Jay Butler

Host, Jay’s Place
Jay Butler hosts Jay’s Place on 101.9 WDET. With almost five decades of broadcast experience, he is a familiar voice to generations of Detroiters.

Shigeto

Host, The New Music Show
Shigeto is a Hamtramck-based drummer, electronic music producer, DJ and host of The New Music Show.
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Liz Warner

Host, Alternate Take
Liz Warner — known to late-night Detroit audiences as Liz Copeland — is an award-winning multimedia journalist specializing in audio. She started in Detroit as a nightly live radio producer and host on WDET in 1995. On a continual quest to get closer to the meaning behind the music, Liz has been credited as a music writer and editor, television host, event and exhibition curator, DJ and event presenter and host.
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Waajeed

Host, The Boulevard
Hailing from Detroit’s east side, Waajeed is a legendary DJ and producer who has been constantly shape-shifting to inspire the spirit of his people. A founding member of Slum Village and Platinum Pied Pipers, his over twenty year career has found him collaborating with musicians from all over the spectrum of sound. His main mission is authenticity, embodied by his label Dirt Tech Reck. At the same time, he is working to build out the Underground Music Academy a school championing artistic independence, autonomy, and collective art making to foster multi-generational skill-sharing for Detroit musicians.
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Mike Latulippe

Host, The Detroit Move
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, Mike Latulippe first felt the magic of music and radio hearing his first Carpenters song at the age of 4. He’s been a fixture in Detroit’s music scene for nearly 30 years as a member of The Paybacks, The Hentchmen, Dirty Copper and more.
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Kaleigh Wilder

Host, Visions
Kaleigh Wilder is a multi-instrumentalist and improviser based in Detroit. Speaking primarily through the baritone saxophone, Kaleigh combines elements of classical, jazz, avant-garde and Afro Diasporic influence into a unifying sound. Using timbral extremes that shift between raw and polished, abrasive and sensitive, discomfort and catharsis, Kaleigh translates bodily and ancestral memory into sound to communicate viscerally. She hopes to amplify in the listener their own understanding of music and self.
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Jeff Milo

Host, MI Local
Jeff Milo has been a music journalist for 20 years, focusing exclusively on Michigan’s music scene. His work has appeared in the Detroit Free Press, Metro Times, Ann Arbor Current and Paste. Jeff has contributed weekly segments on WDET highlighting can’t-miss concerts featuring local artists and bands performing throughout metro Detroit.
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Audio Engineering

Sam Beaubien

Creative Producer
Sam Beaubien is a musician, composer, producer and educator in Detroit. He is also the founder and leader of the acclaimed ensemble, Will Sessions.

Conor Anderson

Audio Engineer/Producer
Conor Anderson is an Audio Engineer and Producer for 101.9 WDET, ensuring quality audio content for the station from underwriting to live bands, podcasts and broadcasts. He’s a Yooper that likes Techno, and he’s looking for a coney that serves pasties.

Nate Bender

Audio Production Assistant
Nate Bender is an Audio Engineer and Producer for 101.9 WDET. He also hosts the 1UPdate on CultureShift, a weekly segment about the gaming industry.


Underwriting

Ralph Valdez

Underwriting Representative
Ralph Valdez is an Underwriting Representative for 101.9 WDET.
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Bill St. Laurent

Underwriting Representative
Bill St. Laurent is an Underwriting Representative for 101.9 WDET.
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Events

Nicole Amine

Events Manager
Nicole Amine is the Events Manager at 101.9 WDET, overseeing all WDET-produced events.
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Operations

Matt Trevethan

Sr. Technical Operations Manager
Matt Trevethan is the Senior Technical Operations Manager for 101.9 WDET. Matt has been with the station since 1996 and is the station’s tattoo and metal enthusiast. When he’s not at work you may find him playing FPS/MMOs or ARPG’s with his wife and trusty dog, Ragnar, by his side.

Ryan Carlson

Senior Systems Administrator
Ryan Carlson is the Senior Systems Administrator for 101.9 WDET. He’s a sports nut who’s also a techy, and is always trying to figure out how and why the things we use work.

Josh Linden

Membership Assistant
Josh Linden is a Member Services Assistant at 101.9 WDET. He believes in the importance of clear, open communication, which he hopes to extend to anyone calling in to Member Services.


Interns & Street Team

Kane Bergstrom

Street Team

Nikki Boring

Street Team

Maleia Brown

Marketing Intern

Karen Brundidge

News Intern

Madison Ganzak

News Intern

Griffin Hutchings

Street Team

Dorothy Jones

The Metro Intern

Tristan McFolley

Detroit Evening Report Intern

WDET also offers paid internships for Audio Engineering, Membership Services and several other departments.