Chris Velardi - WJPZ Class of 1995 turned SU Employee

Chris Velardi - WJPZ Class of 1995 turned SU Employee

Author: WJPZ March 1, 2023 Duration: 25:10

Chris Velardi, Class of 1995, is the Director of Digital Engagement and Communications of SU's Office of Alumni Engagement.  He joins us today to walk us through his time from Connecticut to Syracuse to Connecticut to Syracuse.

 

Chris got to SU from the Nutmeg State, like many of us, wanting to be a sportscaster.  He quickly found a job in the Carrier Dome.   When that, um, changed, he found WJPZ.  There, he earned the nickname "The Weasel," because he weaseled his way into every aspect of the station, wanting to get as involved as possible.

 

Following graduation, Chris worked in radio news in Ithaca, before transitioning to TV.  His next move was a dream job - being a morning anchor in his home state.   In fact, he stayed there for a decade and a half.  Then, he and his family decided it was time for a change.  We spend some time talking about the difficulties of moving out of TV and radio.   In fact, it's a topic Velardi has counseled many WJPZ alumni on.

 

Like many media folks, Chris first tried PR - but didn't have the same passion.  Then, through his network (he likes network as a noun but hates it as a verb), he came upon a job opportunity at his alma mater.  Next thing you know, he and his family were headed to Central New York, where he gets to play host at Banquet every year.

 

Velardi credits his time at WJPZ for teaching him out to multitask, as well as how to hear and understand different perspectives.  And you won't want to miss this story.  You'll find out why, 30 years later, he still gets screen shots whenever someone hears En Vogue.

 

The WJPZ at 50 Podcast is produced by Jon "JAG" Gay, Class of 2022, and his company JAG in Detroit Podcasts

Want to be on the show? Email JAG at jag@jagpodcastproductions.com

Connect with the WJPZ Alumni Association: https://wjpzalumniassociation.org/


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For fifty years, the student-run airwaves of Syracuse University's WJPZ at 50 have been more than a radio station; they've been a launchpad. This oral history project captures that legacy not through dry facts, but through the voices that built it. Each episode is a conversation with a different alumnus, from the pioneers of the 1970s to recent graduates, tracing how their hands-on experience in what's called the "world's greatest media classroom" shaped careers in broadcasting and far beyond. You'll hear personal stories of late-night broadcasts, technical mishaps turned into triumphs, and the forging of lifelong bonds that created a unique professional family spanning generations. This podcast digs into the real, often messy, work of learning by doing, revealing how a campus station became an enduring institution. Tune in for a collection of fifty interviews that together form a living archive, celebrating the people, not just the programming, behind five decades of student-led radio.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

WJPZ at 50
Podcast Episodes
Consultant Jay Nachlis, '94, on Radio's Past, Present, and Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:02
You'd be hard pressed to find someone who understands the radio industry as well as today's guest: Jay Nachlis from the Class of 1994. Like many of us, this San Francisco native came to Syracuse with plans of being the n…
John Ferracane, Class of 2003, On the Ostrom House and More [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:03
John Ferracane was one of the key figures in the survival of WJPZ when the station was temporarily moved to an off-campus house on Ostrom Avenue for the 2000-2001 school year. With the help of an incredibly dedicated sta…
Hall of Famer Dave Gorab, Class of 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:23
One of the hallmarks of any great leader is sharing the credit with his or her team. Hall of Famer Dave Gorab, Class of '93, rose through the ranks of WJPZ to become General Manager at a very successful time in the radio…
Audacy's Corey Crockett, Class of 2015 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:06
One of the amazing things about WJPZ is how many of our illustrious alumni actually grew up listening to the radio station. This has been true for decades. Liverpool native Corey Crockett, from the Class of 2015, is no e…
Back to Z89 (and Receivership) with Dena and Harry, Class of 1999 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:17
Simply put, Harry Wareing and Dena (Giacobbe) Laupheimer are two people the radio station wouldn't have survived without. Both members of the Class of 1999, Harry first came to the station as a freshman and became a "uti…
Behind the Banquet Scenes With Eileen Spath, Class of 2014 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:35
For several years, Eileen Spath (Class of 2014) chaired the Banquet Committee. When we all come back to Syracuse every year for one of our favorite weekends, we may not realize what happens behind the scenes to get this…
Damian/JD/Governor D Redman, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:03
You may know today's guest by many names - JD, Governor, or even his given name, Damian Redman. He talks about coming to Syracuse the summer before his freshman year, meeting Dion Summers, and finding WJPZ together.You'l…
Hall of Famers Chris Bungo and Rocco Macri, Class of 1986 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:53
Chris Bungo and Rocco Macri met at WJPZ when they were working in production and promotions, respectively. Their friendship has led to a business partnership of over 3 decades, creating the first-of-its-kind software for…

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