Nashville Public Radio Staff | Nashville Public Radio (2024)

Rob comes to Nashville Public Radio from Boston, where he was Vice President of News at the legendary WBZ NewsRadio as well as Regional News Director for iHeartRadio’s News/Talk stations in the Northeast. Prior to that, Rob spent nearly two decades at CBS Radio in a variety of leadership roles including Managing Editor and Assistant News Director at WCBS New York and later Program Director and Executive Editor for CBS Radio’s English language all-news and Spanish language music and sports stations in Washington, DC.

Rob’s first media experience was with the local NPR station in his hometown of Miami, FL. A portion of WLRN’s broadcast day was programmed by the students in the Radio Broadcasting program at Miami Lakes Technical College, from where he graduated in 1991. Rob was recruited for his first management role at age 26 at KBLA in Los Angeles, where he helped launch a Spanish language news and information station.

In his personal time, Rob loves to travel. He says, “Some people collect things as a hobby; my thing is collecting experiences.” Those experiences have ranged from safari in Africa to hiking a volcano in Costa Rica to attending the Burning Man festival. He’s also a self-described aviation nerd (don’t get him started talking about airplanes and airports.)

Rob lives in Germantown. When not traveling, he and his fiancé Julian enjoy exploring Nashville’s many green spaces as well as the amazing food and music scene.

With more than 20 years of experience in the nonprofit industry, Kenda has diverse experience including executive management, major gifts, membership programs, board leadership and all aspects of institutional giving. Her career has included leadership roles in Chicago and Austin, including Bat Conservation International, Chicago Children’s Choir, The Field Museum, The Center for Community Arts Partnerships at Columbia College Chicago and Northwestern University.

Kenda graduated from Northwestern College of Iowa with a degree in Theater and performed live stage theater for many years. She has served on the Chicago Chapter of the Board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and was an adjunct faculty member for the Arts Entertainment and Media Management program at Columbia College Chicago, where she taught fundraising and management at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Kenda is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Nashville Chapter. She resides in Franklin, TN with her husband, son and Havanese.

Keri Pagetta joins the Nashville Public Radio team as its Accounting Specialist, processing accounts payable and receivable and supporting the Finance Department in a variety of ways. She was previously the Director of Operations for Safe Haven Family Shelter. Keri has had a varied career working in the hospitality industry both in New York and Nashville, as a high school Spanish teacher in MNPS, and as a studio teacher on ABC’s Nashville. As an actor and voice-over artist, she has voiced characters forVeggie Tales,starred in commercials for the Tennessee Lottery and Dollar General, and appeared in numerous short films and theater productions. She was the 2015 recipient of the Tennessee Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship for Acting (Theater) and a winner of aNashville Scene2021 Best of Nashville Critics' Pick for her work as the producer, director and lead actor inThe Passion of Ethel Rosenberg(a Radio Play)podcast.

Keri has a master’s in Teaching and Learning from Lipscomb University, a B.A. in Sociology from Montclair University, and a certificate in Immersion Spanish Language Study in Mexico and Guatemala. Keri lives in the Donelson area with her husband, twin daughters, her mom and Becky the Cat. She is a believer in, and sustaining member of, public media.Among her favorite quotes through which she draws inspiration is, “If we have no peace, it's because we have forgotten we belong to each other." – Mother Teresa.

Rachel Iacovone (YAH-kuh-VOAN-ee) is the morning host for Nashville Public Radio.

Rachel began her public radio career covering politics in Florida during the 2016 presidential race. Rachel was outside as the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over Southwest Florida and on air for WGCU, the same station she listened to as a kid as Hurricane Wilma tore the roof off her childhood home.

Rachel is a Florida Gulf Coast University alumna (wings up!) and an avid AP Style enforcer. When she’s not hosting or reporting, Rachel can be found cooking and posting her creations to social media, all while watching true crime shows.

See Rachel's story archive at wpln.org.

Nina Cardona is a native of Middle Tennessee and near-lifelong listener to WPLN. Cardona joined Nashville Public Radio in 1997 fresh out of Converse College. She began as a classical music host and later ran the 91Classical music service. However, the majority of her years at the station have been spent sharing the news, first in the afternoons during All Things Considered and now as the local host of Morning Edition. She has a deep interest in history and has been known to dabble in photography, various textile crafts and open water swimming.

Visit Nina's story archive at wpln.org.

The first time that I was given a microphone—a cheap, little plastic deal attached to a toy keyboard—I thought it was funny to mash my lips into it and make farting noises. As far as I was concerned, that joke stayed fresh for a whole year, but I was just a kid.

I’ve been immersed in thinking, talking and writing about music as a Nashville-based critic and journalist for the better part of two decades, long enough to witness radical revolutions, slow-moving evolutions and recurring cycles throughout the music-making world. For the last several years, I’ve been contributing a lot to National Public Radio, NPR Music and other big outlets, like The New York Times and Vulture, often interpreting Nashville happenings for national audiences.

As a kid, I traipsed around outside a lot. Still do. But indoors, I found a lot of ways to get into music. My immersive study of rhythm began when I took up clogging, a percussive folk dance influenced by Black, indigenous and Irish styles and lots else besides, and I eventually shifted that energy over to drumming. I played in church, and everywhere else. When I marched on the high school drum line, one of the cadences in our repertoire was a riff on the 69 Boyz’ banger “Tootsee Roll.” In the first of many all-female bands I was in, we crammed into my bedroom to scream Courtney Love lyrics a capella and I pounded the sh*t out of my pawn shop drum kit. By college, I was trying to emulate John “Jabo” Starks’ wily, funky-footed groove on James Brown’s “Sex Machine.”

I also want to understand the contexts in which music is shaped, shared, categorized, marketed and experienced. Filling in those gaps in knowledge is an unending project, one that I’ve worked at not only by reading everything from articles to liner notes and conducting my own interviews, but also by citing and collaborating with scholars who are doing the work of bringing hidden musical histories to light.

On the air, you will most definitely hear me letting my curiosity lead. (And not my fart sounds.)

Caroline Eggers covers environmental issues with a focus on equity for WPLN News through Report for America, a national service program that supports journalists in local newsrooms across the country. Before joining the station, she spent several years covering water quality issues, biodiversity, climate change and Mammoth Cave National Park for newsrooms in the South. Her reporting on homelessness and a runoff-related “fish kill” for the Bowling Green Daily News earned her 2020 Kentucky Press Association awards in the general news and extended coverage categories, respectively. Beyond deadlines, she is frequently dancing, playing piano and photographing wildlife and her poodle, Princess. She graduated from Emory University with majors in journalism and creative writing.

See Caroline's story archive at wpln.org.

Khalil Ekulona has been involved with media for almost his entire life. Recently he served as the host and producer of No More Normal, the pandemic-focused radio show on KUNM in Albuquerque. He’s also served as the co-host of Good Day New Mexico on KOB4, and as a correspondent with New Mexico PBS. Born in New Jersey, raised in Maryland, Khalil received his degree in political science from Elon University (then Elon College). During his time in Los Angeles, Khalil worked as an educator for at-risk high school students and an associate producer for film, and he founded the hip-hop group Fresh Air.

Khalil loves to find humor and wisdom in life’s turns and corners, and enjoys discovering the events that define our lives by talking to his fellow human beings and strives to learn from their experiences. He is also an avid fan of elevator music.

Meribah Knight is a senior reporter and producer at Nashville Public Radio. She’s the host and creator of the Peabody Award-winning podcast,The Promiseas well as Serial’s recent podcast The Kids of Rutherford County.

Her reporting on race and inequality in public schools prompted a wholesale shift in enrollment and attitudes toward school choice in one Nashville neighborhood. And her reporting on the juvenile justice system in Rutherford County, Tenn., lead to the retirement of its Juvenile Judge and new oversight of its juvenile detention center.

Knight has received numerous national awards for her reporting, including the George Foster Peabody Award and the George Polk Award. Knight was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the Goldsmith Award, and twice a finalist for a National Magazine Award. Knight received her master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University.

Paige Pfleger covers criminal justice for WPLN News. Previously she has worked in Central Ohio at WOSU News, covering criminal justice and the addiction crisis, and was named Ohio's reporter of the year by the Associated Press in 2019. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR, The Washington Post, Marketplace, and PRI's The World, and she has worked in the newsrooms of The Tennessean, Michigan Radio, WHYY, Vox and NPR headquarters in DC.

Visit Paige's story archive at wpln.org.

Alexis Marshall is WPLN News’s education reporter. She is a Middle Tennessee native and started listening to WPLN as a high schooler in Murfreesboro. She got her start in public radio freelance producing for NPR and reporting at WMOT, the on-campus station at MTSU. She was the reporting intern at WPLN News in the fall of 2018 and afterward an intern on NPR’s Education Desk. Alexis returned to WPLN in 2020 as a newscast producer and took over the education beat in 2022. Marshall contributes regularly to WPLN's partnership with Nashville Noticias, a Spanish language news program, and studies Arabic. When she's not reporting, you can find her cooking, crocheting or foraging for mushrooms.

See Alexis's story archive at wpln.org.

Hi, I’m Justin. I was born in Milwaukee, WI. I started as an intern at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee and worked my way up to Music Director. There I started a segment called “From the Music Desk” where I interviewed over 500 artists including Thom York, Lizzo, Steve Martin, and Phoebe Bridgers. At 88nine I also got to speak passionately about the music I love on the radio, which is a true gift and I still get to do every day. There I also made a podcast called “Backspin: The Search for Milwaukee’s First Hip-Hop Song” which I enjoyed doing more than anything else I’ve ever done and was acclaimed in The New York Times. Highlight of my life. I love music, I love people and I love a good yarn.

At the end of the day my goal is to tell stories that are as good as the ones my dad tells me. I’ll tell em on the radio, in print, or next to you at the corner bar.

I host the evening show from 6-10 p.m. and I also serve as the production coordinator for WNXP. I started radio back in 2014 working for my college radio station at The University of Alabama. I hosted various sports shows and a classic hip-hop show titled “Can I Kick Out.”

Since graduating from Alabama, I have been a program director and producer for Tide 100.9 and a producer for ESPN 102.5 The Game in Nashville.

My career has been sports to this point, but what a lot of people do not know is music radio was my first passion. Growing up in Southern California I would listen to Power 106 and pretend to be an on-air personality, while other kids wanted to be doctors and lawyers. I grew up around a melting pot of music. My grandma was listening to Charlie Pride and other old country music tunes while my grandpa would be in the other room playing his Blues records like the hallways were Beale Street.

My mother was listening to R&B and soul dating back to the 60s going from Motown to the sweet sounds of Mary J Blige. I was listening to hip hop music with my older brother and uncles. and my best friend growing up would have me head banging to some Pantera. I moved to Alabama in 2004, so even though Kanye West “College Dropout” was in my CD player, I could get down to some country.

I say all that to say I am sponge for great music, regardless of what genre its from. So, kick back, jam out to some tunes, have a few drinks and explore the wide range of music we have to offer.

Like countless other sweet suburbanites, I watched Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” in high school and wiped clean my concepts of the future: when I grow up, I’ll be a rock writer, a musician or a Band-Aid, I decided. What else is there? While my college days offered plenty of concert-going and a few overwrought album reviews, too, it was curating playlists and hosting local artists on the student radio station WUSC-FM that really made meaning for me. I enjoyed solo and co-hosted free-format programs every semester throughout my four undergrad and first two alumni years in Columbia, S.C., before relocating to Nashville in 2009.

A nonprofit professional full-time, I’ve remained blissfully music biz adjacent in Music City, U.S.A., partnering with artists, venues and festivals via nonpartisan voter engagement organization HeadCount at live music and community events. Also via HeadCount, I co-produced monthly streaming content for the short-lived ScionAV channel “Headliners” in 2012 and 2013, introducing concert recordings and interviewing music makers such as The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir.

Beginning in 2017, I returned to the FM airwaves with the all-volunteer, low-power station WXNA and hosted Wednesday morning show “What Moves You,” manning live broadcasts, amplifying the work and stories of guest artists and packaging recorded content in the age of COVID. I am thrilled to begin sharing time on WNXP as morning host, promoting music discovery and celebrating our dynamic local scene.

“It’s all happening!”

Favorite artists: Stephen Malkmus, My Morning Jacket, Fiona Apple, Grateful Dead, Talking Heads, Phish, Billy Strings, St. Vincent + basically any funk, soul and rock ‘n roll with HORNS (i.e. Daptone Records)

Born and raised in Nashville, I had no choice but to develop an affinity for music. From growing up on the country classics and classic rock to developing my own personal taste and discovering the various types of artists Nashville had to offer, I became completely consumed with discovering new music. Since then, my whole life has been dedicated to the local music scene and sharing my knowledge with the Nashville community. There is nothing I love more than supporting the artists I love, so I was thrilled when I began my radio journey in 2015 at Lightning 100 where I was able to book up-and-coming artists for in-studio performances and club shows and support programming efforts specifically within the indie and local music realms. Eventually, I became a part of their on air staff and was able to develop my skills as a DJ. I had always prided myself on my ability to set the mood and make a killer a playlist (just ask my yoga students), but I loved learning the ins and outs of radio specifically. In 2020, I launched my own show called Acid Reflux on Acme Radio, spinning garage, psych rock and any other weird things I love.

I am thrilled to now have the opportunity to serve as a DJ for WNXP, sharing my fondness for the local music scene and beyond and helping Nashville discover their new favorite bands.

Molly was born in Sacramento, California, and moved to Nashville with her family at age 11. After graduating from Vanderbilt University with a degree in political science and business administration, she stumbled into a job in public media fundraising, and for the last 20+ years has held various roles in the membership department at Nashville Public Radio.

Molly’s been a Nashville Public Radio member since she was 21 years old, and has deep roots throughout the Nashville community. She lives in the Crieve Hall area with her husband and teenage son, and enjoys going for walks and hanging out with family, friends, and neighbors.

Jesse is a grant writer, classical percussionist, certified master gardener, and lifetime public radio listener. Born in the Atlanta suburbs, he relocated to Nashville in 2010 and now lives in a magical pocket of Davidson County called Neely's Bend.

Prior to joining Nashville Public Radio in 2024, Jesse managed a grants consulting business for five years, eventually stewarding around $3 million in annual grant revenue across several arts & cultural organizations, small, medium, and large. His work supported programs at the Nashville Symphony, Actors Bridge Ensemble, Youth Empowerment through Arts and Humanities (YEAH!), Tennessee Arts Academy, and Centennial Park Conservancy, among others both locally and nationally. He has also secured institutional funding in service areas as diverse as mental health, childcare and early education, restorative justice, and healthcare.

Jesse was previously the Assistant Artistic Director and percussionist for chatterbird, a Nashville-based contemporary classical ensemble. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Belmont University, where he studied marimba, snare drum, timpani, tambourine, crash cymbals, xylophone, vibraphone, almglocken, glockenspiel, quijada, finger cymbals, congas, crotales, maracas, gongs, sleigh bells, and everything else under the sun that can be hit, slapped, tapped, kicked, or scraped.

Kyle joined the corporate support team in 2009. Previously, he worked at several ad agencies in Chicago and as a television Research Director in Nashville. A native of Goodlettsville, TN, Kyle graduated from MTSU with a degree in communications.

Kyle serves on the board of The Brooks Fund. In his off time you'll find him cheering on the Blue Raiders, playing softball and hanging out with "Army" (Armistead Maupin), the world's best Dachshund.

Missouri born, and Midwest/Southwest raised, Josh Connor began his career as a freelance jingle and advertising writer and producer, later landing successful on-air and administrative roles in markets like Robinson, IL, and Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa.Josh’s work reached national scope when he began producing for legendary Nashville country music stations in 2007.He was part of the talent stable for the syndication launch, and first three years, of Westwood One’s popular Nash Icon format. After Icon, Josh joined Nashville’s market leading music station.

Josh has always been a fan and advocate of public broadcasting, growing up watching and listening — even finding his first chance to participate in broadcasting on his hometown public stations. An avid WPLN listener, Josh values WPLN News’ unique and original content, and is excited to join this important Nashville resource.

When he’s not guiding Nashville Public Radio’s technical and production systems, he enjoys reading and writing, music, sunsets at the beach, and cheering on his beloved Iowa Hawkeyes.