35 years is a long time.
Nearly 40 years is even longer.
That’s the length of time I’ve dedicated in my life to a career in radio
and all but four of those 40 have been as a broadcast journalist.
But there is always a possibility for change, a new
adventure and a new challenge and so a couple of weeks ago I decided to retire
from radio. My last day at WHO in Des
Moines is February 12, 2016.
I am not retiring from the workforce,just radio. I have accepted a position as the Director
for Strategic Growth for Optimist International. www.optimist.org
. When I begin those duties later this
month, I will be charged with developing strategies for increasing the
membership of the organization. This will take me all over the country in an effort to stimulate
development in areas where the Optimist presence is lacking. It will also allow me to continue a passion
developed more than a decade ago when I caught the “new club” bug after
completing my first project in Waukee, Iowa. I am remaining in Urbandale as far as the place for an office is concerned.
The departure from radio is coming at the right time. Times have changed. It’s rare these days to find someone running
a news operation who learned the trade by running a daily news beat, produced
stories on a manual typewriter and edited audio content using a razor blade and
tape. The industry evolved with the
onset of computer technology, social media and cross media partnerships that
were never imagined 35 years ago.
Still, I can’t imagine having done anything else. There is still a small thrill every time the
newscast introduction music plays and I punch a button so that people all over
the state of Iowa can hear my voice not to mention nearly two thirds of the
country at night. But the combination of
all of the changes in the industry and the opportunity presented by Optimist
International indicated the time for a change had arrived. Some people have already called me lucky
because I am leaving something I have loved doing for three plus decades and am
going to something I have been passionate about as a volunteer...but now with a pay check
to boot.
The blog will continue with posts about improving
ourselves and the successes and occasional setbacks at the new gig. But first a short break as my
wife Judy and I spend a little time this month where there are palm trees. It’s
a good place to be when its February in Iowa. J
Be Well.
