KBUT’s Annual Membership Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 25th at 5:30pm at the KBUT studios at 508 Maroon Avenue in Crested Butte.
Six seats on our Board of Directors are up for election, and nine candidates are presented below. All current KBUT members are welcome and encouraged to vote. A KBUT member is anyone who has donated $50 or more in the previous year.
Not sure if you’re a member? Email [email protected]. Don’t want to wait for an answer? You can make a membership-level gift RIGHT NOW at kbut.org/give. Candidates statements are presented in random order, and ordered in the same way on the ballot.
A link to the online ballot follows the candidates’ statements.
Polls will close at midnight on Tuesday, January 24th.
Candidate Statements:
TJ MCINTYRE
KBUT has warmed my ears and mind for over 20 years, and in seeking a board position my interest lies in helping this wonderful station thrive for decades to come.
As a board member, I will help KBUT achieve success in the following areas: 1) Strategic Planning – insure we are adhering and growing our overall mission; 2) Revenue – devise and manage a strategy that secures sustainable income annually and into the future; 3) Programming – help the station continue to provide what the members want to hear; 4) Organization – provide guidance for the development of an amazing team, both employees and volunteers.
Since 1994, I have worked tirelessly in the natural foods industry growing brands and building a better food system. My experience in the last 7 years, as CEO of BOBO’S, directly applies to managing a successful organization. My only hope for KBUT is to take it’s awesome, soul-of-the-valley existence and insure it continues to abundantly serve the community as it has since 1986.
MIKE LOPERFIDO
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Mike Loperfido, AKA DJ MikeyLep. I have been working on construction jobsites since I moved to the Valley in 2011. KBUT and all of its awesome diversity of programming has been my much beloved soundtrack. I listen to what the DJ’s are putting out, and I see directly how it affects the listening audience. I ask questions of my fellow contractors about what they like and don’t like about KBUT, and have had many interesting conversations. I would like to be a KBUT board member for various reasons. For one, I’d like to learn how this organization that I really love operates from a Board members perspective. I have been volunteering my time as a DJ for over four years, and worked with the news department for a while as well. I am an ongoing sustaining member and donate during the pledge drives to show support for my fellow dj’s. I enjoy volunteering at the various KBUT sponsored events. All of this has giving me a great respect for what KBUT offers to the Gunnison Valley and beyond. Being on the Board, would allow me to have an even greater understanding of all the hard work and energy that is required to run a community radio station like KBUT. Once given an opportunity to learn how the Board operates, I would like to have a direct say in helping guide the direction and operation of KBUT. I believe I can offer some valuable insight because of my time both as a committed listener and volunteer. My conversations in the community have helped me be a better DJ and would also help me be a high quality Board member.
Thank you for your consideration,
Peace,
Mike Loperfido
CHRIS COADY
- I have lived in Gunnison since 1995 and have raised my family here
- I have been a KBUT DJ since 2008
- I am currently a sustaining member.
- In college I studied Marketing and Small Business Administration
- I have owned and operated local small businesses
- I spent 17 years in a sales career; Area Sales Manager, Account Executive
- I believe in diversity and inclusivity
- I am a local and regional performing musician, songwriter and spokesperson with a focus on community
- I believe in the power of community public radio and in its ability to maintain and improve the quality of life for all who live and visit here.
SHANE HEWITT
To whom it may concern:
My name is Shane Hewitt. I was born in Gunnison and still reside here. I fell in love with radio at an early age, and it, as well as music in general, has been a crucial part of who I am. I’ve been a volunteer DJ with KBUT for about two years now, and I’ve hosted my own show for exactly a year. I’ve participated in almost every event the station has had in the last two years, and I don’t think it’s a secret to the staff how much I love KBUT.
I was lucky enough to receive the Volunteer of the Year jacket this year, and I am honored. KBUT is a magical place that surrounds me with people that like music as much as I do, something I’ve only experienced when in a band. And that, is what sold me on the place.
I was honored to become the lighting tech for the I Bar recently as well, which it’s also no secret I love the symbiotic relationship between the I Bar and KBUT.
I’m sure I would be good for the board because of my obvious passion for KBUT and the community it serves. I love this valley, and love that I have a small part to play with the outstanding community service that is KBUT. I’d like to have a bigger part to play by joining the board.
Thank you for your consideration of me! No matter how the votes go, you better believe you can always catch me on RockHard Radio, every Wednesday!
Stay weird!!!!
ShaneO
JACK LUCIDO
I am a long-time listener, member, and lover of KBUT Community Radio for the Gunnison Valley. I have served as a KBUT board member for over four years now. I want to continue to serve in this capacity.
I live in Gunnison and work at Western Colorado University and bring an important down valley perspective to the board. I am a filmmaker and have extensive public television experience prior to my current career in higher education.
Thanks for considering me for another term on the board of KBUT.
DAN BAYNES
I have been programming Native American, Indigenous and Roots Music for over 50 years at various radio stations and served on several station boards and committees establishing best practices and improved operations. I am the Chief Operating Officer for my own non-profit Frog Pond Productions since 1996. The relationship to the board with station management is critical to meet KBUTs’ goals going forward. I volunteer often to help with fundraisers, fill in for shows on short notice and have been a KBUT Board member since 2020 which saw KBUTs best Membership drive in 2021. I am excited to continue my position on the board and look forward to the election of new members.
DAN BOSTICK
I have been serving on the KBUT Board since May 2022 and more recently also as Secretary. I am a life-long musician and an avid record collector. l enjoy volunteering for the station’s events and love meeting others who share our enthusiasm. I believe KBUT is an invaluable resource for the Gunnison Valley and I want to contribute to its mission in any way I can. I believe KBUT’s invaluable resources are the DJs, staff, members, and our community relationships.
I ask that you vote for me to continue as a board member because of my experience and passion for KBUT. I have worked in the music industry for the last thirty years as an audio engineer, a musician, and professional audio system designer and salesperson. In my career I have worked with many broadcasters and have been involved with trade groups including the National Association of Broadcasters. As a member of the Tech Committee I bring important expertise as the station prepares for a major studio upgrade. My professional and musical background is a great fit for KBUT and I would be honored to continue to help guide the station during this next phase.
DAVE COLUCCI
I’m dave colucci. I’m running for the board for a second term. I’m currently your treasurer and believe I have the best understanding of the finances of kbut of anyone running. I’ve helped start a couple of great initiatives including working with nugs.net to secure a free membership, organizing an annual dj meeting, getting swag at cost for djs, as well as having a great repoir with staff. A vote for me is a vote for solid stewardship of kbut.
LAURA SILVA
My reasons for wanting to join the board of directors is a very deep and multifaceted one. When I first got to Crested Butte in 1997 KBUT was on every single radio, in every business, throughout the Gunnison valley. It had such a profound impact on me that I knew I needed to become a volunteer DJ. I got my first permanent slot for my original show Lunch Lady Laura’s late night snack show Thursdays from 8 to 10 PM in August of 1999. After many years of volunteering at that slot, I changed over to the Thursday afternoon 2 to 4 PM slot and with the birth of my son and the birth of my daughter I continued to volunteer DJ, with some short breaks when the kids were born, and still DJing bi-weekly at that same time slot. In addition to my volunteer DJ slot, I have also been the main DJ and coordinator for KBUT’s event formerly known as Soul Train and currently known as KBUT’s Disco Inferno. I also spent a year as KBUT’s Events Coordinator and successfully coordinated and completed events such as the KBUT Kamp Out, KBUT‘s Soul Train, KBUT’s Female arm wrestling event, KBUT ‘s one and only Scrapple fest event, and multiple KBUT bingo nights.
In addition to my relations and commitment to KBUT, I am also involved intricately in the Crested Butte and Gunnison communities with additional ties in business, as the current Secret Stash restaurant manager. In arts and entertainment, not only through KBUT but I DJ and own High Mountain DJ’s since 2000. I have worked, DJ’d, collaborated, and coordinated with a large part of every nonprofit in the Gunnison Valley for over 20 years. I also helped to create and was the main event coordinator for the one and only three day Jazz fest in Crested Butte. I have worked in the service industry for the last 26 years in Crested Butte and I’ve been part of many other organizations and businesses, such as the Crested Butte news/weekly newspaper, advertising sales for the bus ads and multiple local maps, Acli-Mate mountain sports drink- senior sales representative, volunteer soccer coach for the West Elk Soccer Association, and parent volunteer and coordinator with West Elk hockey association. I feel that KBUT has always been a pillar of stability even through the toughest of times. KBUT is a community minded nonprofit that keeps the valley informed, grounded, united, entertained, and alive. I feel that with my years of experience in Crested Butte, not only in the community, but with the radio station, I would be a tremendous asset to the KBUT board of directors and would contribute a mindset that brings long time local knowledge and expertise but also understands the current and future progress of KBUT and the direction required to stay relevant and needed. Please consider me for a seat at KBUT ‘s board of directors.
Click Here for the online ballot
