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/


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


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
DEI and Higher Ed Guru Kafele Khalfani, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:55
Since graduating SU in 1996, Kafele Khalfani has done it all - moving from the advertising world to following his passion to help young people. Today you'll hear about his career in higher education, as well as his time…
Emmy Winning Reporter Eva Zymaris, Class of 2014 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:18
Eva Zymaris, Class of 2014, has gone from Z89 News Director to Emmy winning reporter in New Haven Connecticut. And she credits so much of her career success to the WJPZ family.This New Jersey news aficionado quickly lear…
Sal Capaccio - from WJPZ to the Bills Sideline and Damar Hamlin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
Today you will hear two incredible stories from Sal Capaccio, Class of 1995. The first is his own "origin story." At 37 years old, he quit his job to follow his dream. He and his wife moved back to his hometown of Buffal…
"Hot Shot" Scotty Bergstein, Class of 1989 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:30
Today's guest gobbled up every airshift he could, and now makes his living directing commercials, after learning under Ridley Scott.Scott Bergstein came to Syracuse, like many, chasing the sportscaster dream. When he saw…
MTV's Matt Gehring and SNY's Sam Kandell, Class of 2018 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:28
WJPZ has formed many deep bonds and friendships - and that is certainly the case for Matt Gehring and Sam Kandell, who served as PD and GM respectively, for the Class of 2018.As you'll hear, their origin stories differ g…
Julie Bruno, '85. on Reconnecting as an Alum [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:09
A few days before Banquet 2023, Jag sat down with fellow Massachusetts Native Julie Bruno from the Class of 1985. Julie's from the small town of Mansfield, and was the first in her family to go to college, and quickly we…
"Pop Pop" Mike Murphy, Class of 1995 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:28
(Thanks to alum and Newhouse professor Tina Perkins for editing this week's episode.)Mike Murphy, from the WJPZ Class of 1995, has gone from Z89 sports to the face of sports in the state of New Hampshire, having called m…
Pete Gianesini, '94, SU Alum Prez and Friend of WJPZ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:29
Pete Gianesini, '94, did not technically work at WJPZ as a student. But nobody would doubt that he's an adopted member of the Z89 family. He's supported the station and its members from his time as a student, through his…
"Goofy" Bette Kestin, Class of 1993 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:00
"Goofy" Bette Kestin, Class of 1993, and currently Old Navy's Director of Media Strategy and Investment, is today's guest. This New Jersey native did not join WJPZ until her junior year, but quickly made up for last time…