We're the best of friends.
Friends of Georgia Radio (FoGR) is a 501c3 non-profit organization of energetic, passionate radio professionals dedicated to Georgia communities, the radio profession, and each other.
We raise funds for and award yearly scholarships for students at Georgia colleges and universities, and provide mentoring for those students from professionals and legends in the radio industry.
We provide ongoing professional development, unique workshops, and in-person events, enhancing the future of traditional radio broadcasting and emerging technologies that serve Georgia listeners and communities.
This group of pros is leading the creation of an organization dedicated to honoring radio's history and promoting the future of audio communications.
We're multi-faceted multimedia specialists. Committed to helping up-and-coming broadcasting students fund their education, and recognizing those giants upon whose shoulders we stand.
Dale Van Cantfort, PhD, is a second-generation broadcaster. His father, A.R. Van Cantfort, began working in radio in the late 1940’s.
As a child, Dale made numerous “guest” appearances on local radio and TV shows hosted by his father. After graduating with honors from Stetson University, Dale and his wife, Tara, spent 25 years owning and operating small market radio stations in Georgia and South Carolina. They sold their stations in 1998 and Dale spent three years as a guest lecturer at the Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communications at UGA.
After earning his PhD, Dale has spent the last 20 years as a professor of Mass Communications at Piedmont University.
Richard Warner knew from a young age he wanted to be a broadcaster. He got the chance at the University of Georgia’s WUOG-FM. “It just fit. I loved radio from that first day.” From there he was hired as news director at WRFC, which was then the Bulldog football flagship station.
After college, he anchored news and hosted a talk show on pioneer clear-channel WSB AM, and launched the statewide Georgia Radio News Service network at crosstown WGST Newsradio.
For five years, his twice-daily “Moneyline” commentary was syndicated nationally. In 2016, he was elected to the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.
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He also enjoyed a long television career as host of "Georgia's Business" for 30 years on GPB, and commentator and host of "Good Day Atlanta" on FOX5.
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As an entrepreneur, he founded one of the first internet marketing firms, What's Up Interactive, in 1990 and today focuses on cybersecurity education for employees with his company, Aware Force.
Shirley Ellis was destined for a career in radio. Born and raised in Detroit, only a few blocks from Motown Records’ Hitsville USA, she grew up with music filling her home.
She started in broadcasting at Macon’s WMAZ TV and the historic WIBB AM, in the city where James Brown, Otis Redding, and Lil Richard got started.
For 35 years, she has founded and managed the radio and television stations at Ft. Valley State University and remains a well-known member of the iHeart Media family, on-air in Macon as “Mama Mia.”
If her community needs her, she is there. She’s worked to help fight childhood cancer with the Joshua’s Wish Foundation and to bring awareness to HIV/AIDS with the Middle Georgia Sisterhood organization, and has volunteered with the United Way of Central Georgia’s Read United Campaign.
She has a B.A. in Mass Communications from the University of Detroit and a Master's in Public Administration from Georgia College and State University.
Shirley was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2017 and the National Black Radio Hall of Fame in 2021. She received the prestigious Jefferson Award for Community Service in 2018 and the President of the United States Volunteer Gold Award in 2021.
When she’s not working, Shirley is usually found doing cardio, weight training, or yoga. She is a mother of 2 and grandmother of five. Her motto: Let the music play and the world will keep dancing!
Kimberly Foster didn’t exactly plan on a career in radio — radio found her.
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After speaking to a local Rotary Club, Kim met her future father-in-law, John Foster, who invited her to come on the air to talk about her work with a local technical school. One radio interview later, she met her future husband… and before long, she had officially married into the business!
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Before joining Habersham Broadcasting in 2018, Kim built a diverse professional background in transportation, post-secondary education, and real estate — and most importantly, as a stay-at-home mom. That season of life sharpened her multitasking skills, patience, organization, and ability to keep a lot of moving parts running smoothly (which, as it turns out, is perfect training for radio!).
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Today, as Traffic Director, Office Manager, and Accountant, Kim plays a vital role in keeping the station on track. From managing commercial schedules and ensuring every spot airs as it should to coordinating remotes and community events, she helps keep everything balanced behind the scenes. Her strong business foundation and lifelong love of music make what she does both interesting and exciting. Behind the scenes or out in the community, Kim thrives on the energy, creativity, and connection that radio brings.
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Of all her career chapters so far, this one has been the most rewarding — and her favorite yet.
Laura Dickerson was once told she was too chatty in school, so naturally, she built a career around it! A Boston native, she got her start interning for the Matty in the Morning Show on Kiss 108 WXKS-FM, the station she grew up listening to. She earned her B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Arizona State University and began her on-air career at Hot 97.5/103.9 KMVA-FM in Phoenix, rising from Promotions Assistant to morning show producer/co-host.
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After six years in Phoenix, Laura moved to Houston to help launch Radio Now 92.1 KROI-FM as an afternoon host and was later elevated to Music Director. She now serves as Music Director and host of Htown Nights with Laura on 104.1 KRBE-FM, and expanded her leadership in 2024 as Assistant Program Director at Q99.7 WWWQ-FM in Atlanta. She also hosts nights in Atlanta and weekends on KMJK-FM in Kansas City, all within Cumulus Media.
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While music and pop culture first drew her to radio, it’s the connection to community and the opportunity to amplify others’ voices that fuel her passion. As a board member of Friends of Georgia Radio, she’s committed to collaborating with fellow broadcasters and championing the future of the industry.
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In her free time, Laura enjoys road-tripping across Georgia, exploring Atlanta’s food scene, and catching live music!
A native of Atlanta, Kari Love began her career at WYAY- & WYAI-FM as Promotions/Public Relations Director and later moved to WFOX-FM as Promotions and Marketing Director. She then joined the Make-A-Wish® Foundation where she became Vice President of Corporate Development & Special Events and served on the management team for 10 years. Kari continued her career in nonprofit management as the Vice President of Development and Communications with The Atlanta Women’s Foundation. She was promoted to the role of Chief Executive Officer in June of 2017.
Kari is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a major in Communications and a minor in French. She is an alumna of Kappa Alpha Theta and a member of the Junior League of Atlanta Community Advisory Board. Kari was named one of the top 50 Non-Profit Leaders for 2017 by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and was recently recognized as one of Atlanta’s Inspiring Women by the Atlanta Dream. And, Kari was just nominated to become a member of the prestigious Leadership Atlanta class of 2023.
Tim Davies, Chair, Mentorship Committee: With more than three decades of media leadership experience, Tim Davies is a seasoned executive known for driving growth, innovation, and market impact at some of the nation’s leading broadcast organizations. Most recently, he served as Regional Vice President at Urban One, Inc, in Atlanta, overseeing multi-market operations and strategic expansion, building on a long track record of delivering strong financial performance and audience growth.
After starting his career in Augusta, GA, he held senior leadership positions with Clear Channel Communications in Houston and iHeartMedia in Memphis, TN.
A proud graduate of The University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications, he combines deep industry expertise with a passion for developing talent, building brands, and forging meaningful connections with audiences.
Dennis Winslow got his start in radio while attending college and after graduation, was an air personality at stations like BJ-105 in Orlando and WQXI-FM (94Q) in Atlanta. He was also Program Director at stations in some of the toughest and most competitive radio markets in the country, including at WFOX-FM (Fox 97) and Z93 Atlanta, WMGF-FM Milwaukee, WMGG-FM Tampa, KLDE-FM Houston, WRMF West Palm Beach, and WOGL-FM Philadelphia, and his experience includes program management for CBS, Cox, Entercom, Chancellor Broadcasting, Bonneville, Infinity, and the Disney family’s Shamrock Broadcasting. Dennis also served as General Manager of WNUY-FM in the Fort Wayne metro.
He has consulted stations all over the country and has served on advisory boards for the NAB Radio Show, the Midwest Conclave, and the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. Dennis was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2009.
He has a BS in Advertising from The University of Florida and did graduate work in the Communications Department at Florida State University, where he taught undergraduate broadcasting classes as a grad assistant.
Dennis is married, has 3 beautiful “30-something” daughters, and lives in Roswell, Georgia. He and his wife Susan spend summers on Beaver Island, Michigan, where he is helped establish, and continues to advise, Beaver Island’s non-commercial WVBI-FM.
Sanders Hickey never once wondered what his life’s calling would be. It was Radio. Period. He was given his first real opportunity while in high school, in Columbus, at WCGQ-FM. “It was the answer to a prayer, and a dream-come-true.”
Through his college years, it was to Q-105/Athens, and then onto Atlanta at both “Z-93” and WQXI/Atlanta, as an air personality. He briefly returned to his hometown of Columbus as program director of Top-40, WDAK, before entering sales and sales management. “My dream was always to own stations, and the opportunity to apply to the FCC for one of the few, last-remaining FM frequencies in the country presented itself, and we were fortunate enough to prevail, and launched K-Lite 106.3 FM in Wichita Falls, TX.”
Eventually, Hickey sold the Texas Radio station and ultimately moved back to Georgia, where he joined The Arbitron Company, and become Southeastern Manager for the Radio ratings company.
After five years, he joined Southern Broadcasting Companies, an Athens-based holding company, which owned and operated Radio stations in Georgia and Florida, as its president and COO. Upon the sale of the company, Hickey CO-founded Golden Isles Broadcasting and Texas-based, HEH Communications, where he remains their operating partner. In 2019, he was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame and was a 2020 inductee into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
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“Being involved in the establishment of the new ‘Friends of Georgia Radio’ organization is one of the most exciting and rewarding endeavors that I could have ever imagined, said Hickey. “It represents the opportunity to propel the future of Georgia Radio and media well into the next generation.”
Wendy F. Williams is one of the nation’s pre-eminent female leaders of a major market media outlet, as general manager of Jazz 91.9 WCLK-FM, an NPR public radio station licensed to Clark Atlanta University, now celebrating 51 years on the air. Williams’ career in broadcasting spans nearly 40 years and is inclusive of commercial radio and television, and nonprofit public radio with formats ranging from hard news, country, and jazz music formats. Williams’ decisive and steady leadership at WCLK for the past 30 years has helped to earn WCLK a solid reputation as a world-class jazz radio station in Atlanta’s crowded multimedia landscape. During her tenure, Jazz 91.9 WCLK has received repeated recognition in “Best of Atlanta” and “Creative Loafing” magazines as the “Best” Jazz Station in Atlanta. Williams is the recipient of many professional awards and was inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame in 2024. In 2023, Williams received a House Bill Resolution from the State of Georgia and a proclamation from the Georgia House of Representatives in recognition of her achievements in radio. Other notable awards include recognition from the Atlanta Tribune magazine and a Black Women in Radio Award in 2020. She is also a recipient of the Black Brilliance Awards in 2020. Williams has also received repeated recognition throughout her career in the Atlanta Business League’s 100 Tenured Women of Influence. Williams is a founding member and chair of the African American Public Radio Consortium, Inc. (AAPRC). This national organization represents the interests of HBCU stations and audiences served by public radio through the development of programming for diverse audiences. Early in her career, she worked as a news producer at WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh, PA, and as a copywriter for WELA-FM in Ohio. And she served as the acting general manager for WEAA-FM at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. A native of Pennsylvania, Williams received her degree in communication from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and holds an MBA in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University. Williams is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She loves family, worshipping in her Christian faith, traveling, cooking, and meeting people.
Benji Kurtz started his 30+ year career in radio at the age of 13 in his hometown of Athens, reading news and writing and reading a daily editorial on WBKZ-AM. As fun as "The Kurtz Korner" was, he moved on to other Athens stations, and has subsequently worked in Ft. Walton Beach/Destin, FL; Jackson, MS, and Atlanta in every job title except sales (and has even been known to moonlight as a screaming Top 40 jock as 'Jammin Jay Walker' and 'Skip E. Dependable'). Since 2005, Kurtz has been a proud member of the Oconee Radio Group, which owns or operates several stations across the state.
Abby Jessen grew up north of Atlanta, where she constantly listened to the metro area radio stations! She started in broadcast on the Morning Buzz at Roswell High School.
While Abby was studying Broadcast Journalism in the Grady College of Journalism and Digital Marketing in the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, she landed a part-time job at Cox Media Group Athens. She began as a News Anchor for WGAU and a Traffic Reporter for WNGC and WXKT. From there, she was promoted to an Assistant Program Director then Program Director at CMG Athens. She worked with all six stations (WNGC, WRFC, WGAU, WPUP, WGMG, WXKT) through her tenure there, and still does nights on 106.1 WNGC Your Georgia Country!
Abby did a brief “study abroad” with the Cox Media Group cluster in Tulsa, Oklahoma as the Program Director and Afternoon Host on KRAV. After 2.5 years in Tulsa, she returned home to Atlanta! She is currently the Assistant Program Director and Midday Host for WSB-FM, B98.5.
Abby loves all aspects of radio, but the aspect closest to her heart is community. Whether it be serving the local communities through radio station initiatives, connecting with other broadcasters, or supporting the next generation of talent, she loves it all!