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Management
Board of Directors
Pedro Rodriguez
Board President
Mr. Rodriguez is a seasoned community organizer who led several organizations in the Philadelphia area.
He continues to be active in his community serving in various boards, including Northwest Victims Services, The
Imperfect Gallery, Independence Charter School-West, Americans for Democratic Action, Keystone Progress Education Fund and Alliance for Retired Americans Education Fund. Mr. Rodriguez also served as an AIDS educator with Congreso de Latinos Unidos and was Associate Editor of the weekly Community Focus/Enfoque
Comunal, the largest bilingual newspaper in Pennsylvania. He has been a professor of Spanish and Literature for the last 17 years, part time, at the Spanish Language School in Center City Philadelphia.
Mr. Rodriguez was recognized as Citizen of the Year by the Dominican Parade and Festival Committee in Philadelphia
Mr. Rodriguez is married to Pamela Walz and has two children, Anadelia and Daniel.
Julia Weekes
Board Vice President
Longtime Mt. Airy resident Julia Weekes is an educational management leader, educator, and visual artist. Julia has over thirty years of experience in nonprofit leadership and management, grant writing, professional development, arts education, integrated curriculum development, early childhood education, and progressive education practices. She has decades of experience in creating and supporting inclusive learning environments through her various roles in institutional and community-based programs. Julia is currently the Director of the new Education Innovation Lab for Jewish Learning Venture and Director of jkid4ALL, a jkidphilly family engagement initiative for Jewish Families of Color in the Philadelphia area.
Julia is also the mother of two members of Big Spill Radio Hour, a teen-led music discovery and discussion show that previously aired on G-Town Radio.
DAVID BROWN
Board Treasurer
David Brown is a Germantown, Philadelphia resident. He works with great joy as the Finance Director for Folk Arts Cultural Treasures Charter School in Chinatown.
Previously, David worked as a non-profit administrator for 25 years, primarily in the performing arts (Painted Bride Art Center, New Orleans Ballet, InterAct Theater Company) in management, finance, and marketing. In these roles, he dedicated himself to ensuring that the diverse stories of artists would be shared, be it from the stage or within the community. He also co-founded, with his spouse, the theater company Gas & Electric Arts (2005 -2015).
By night, David is the host of “The Jazz Continuum” a weekly community radio show on Saturday nights from 6-8pm, on G-Town Radio, WGGT 92.9 FM
JANIS CHAKARS
Board Secretary
Janis Chakars is an associate professor of communication and digital media at Neumann University, where he incorporates WNUW into his work with students. His professional experience ranges from the Mongolian state news agency to WHYY’s community-based NewsWorks project in Northwest Philadelphia. His scholarship has appeared in Journalism History, the International Journal of Communication, American Journalism, International Research in Children’s Literature, and elsewhere. An active musician, he has toured North America, Europe, and Japan.
Gary Hines
Hasan Ali
Eric Gershenow
Board Member
Gary Hines is a seasoned business professional with over 30 years of experience in Workforce Development, Education, Project Management and Program Development. Gary is the President and Owner of The Gary Hines Consulting Group, LLC. He is a community activist and has served on boards and committees of numerous organizations, institutions, and local government. Gary is also a long-time supporter and former programmer for G-town Radio.
Board Member
Hasan Ali is a Lead Generation & Analytical Specialist, helping business owners and agencies generate high-value leads using software systems and tools that turn into clients and customers. He was also the technical editor for the book, “Affiliate Marketing for Dummies.”
Board Member
Eric Gershenow is the director for pharmaceutical manufacturing at Astellas Pharma Inc., where he has supported development and the successful commercial launch of IZERVAYTM for age-related macular degeneration. During his 20+ year career in the pharmaceutical industry, he has established scientific experience in developing purification applications for biologic and synthetic based drug therapies as well as business acumen in working with stakeholders and external partners to drive company growth and cost saving initiatives.
Outside of his day job, Eric has also demonstrated passion for the arts and has been involved in numerous productions, both in a creative and technical capacity. He is an active producer and musician, having released a 5 song EP and several singles under the moniker Harmonic Frequency Matching and has played guitar for original and wedding band projects in the Philadelphia area. He is the acting music director for Casabuena Cultural productions (casabuenacp.com), a community theater and film company, writing original music and editing sound for numerous short films. He has run sound for live performance, most notably the Barrymore award winning 2019 production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and has established a home studio where he records his show, co-hosted with Mariangela Saavedra, “What do you know about that” for G-town Radio. He is also a trained voice actor, having studied with famed voice actor/ broadcaster/ audiobook narrator Chuck McKibben, and an established visual artist with an extensive digital portfolio of logos for PR and marketing purposes
Tiffany Dominique
Cleo Smalls
Board Member
Board Member
Cleo L. Smalls, the Center Director at Center in the Park senior community center, is an experienced professional in event planning and program implementation. Specializing in community-based programming, she has collaborated with the Girl Scouts, and currently with ARTZ Philadelphia and Life Changers Church, to create meaningful initiatives. With a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurial Management, she brings a strategic and innovative approach to her work, empowering older adults, bridging generational gaps, and combating ageism for a lasting impact on her community.
Station Operations
TOM CASETTA
Station Manager
Tom Casetta has been involved with Community Media projects since the early 80’s and joined G-Town Radio in 2012 and served as Program Director prior to his role as Station Manager. In addition to his work with community radio, Tom has been a contributor and advisor to a wide range of other projects ranging from scripting and voicing a series of animated public service announcements to researching and documenting outsider art and music.
Tom also served on the Community Advisory Group for The Germantown Info Hub and is currently on the Board for the non-profit, See Beyond My Skin.
