KMUZ Board 2025

KMUZ Board of Directors 

Tim Patterson (President)

Fresh out of a Mt. Hood Community College 2-year radio course, Tim got his first radio job at 19 at a little Top 40 station, KACI, in The Dalles. Since then, he’s worked at KBZY, KSLM, KYKN (Salem), KISN-FM, KCNR, KEX, KXL, KUPL, KGON, EARTH 105 (Portland), and others. After moving on from radio as a full-time job, he joined the trade show and event world, and for the past dozen or more years, he’s owned his own businesses, both in the trade show world and as a professional real estate photographer. 

Tim has a lovely and talented wife, Jenny, and is the father of two sons and stepfather of another. He hosts “Roots Rock Reggae” every Monday night on KMUZ and has volunteered at the station since before it went on the air. He was on the original board, founded in 2010, and is currently writing novels.

Karen Holman (Past President, Founder)

Karen’s first radio show was as a college radio DJ in 1988 at KBVR-Corvallis. She then moved to California and spent seven years at KCSB-Santa Barbara programming punk, industrial, and experimental noise shows.  When she moved to Salem in 2001 to start a job as a chemistry professor at Willamette University, she looked for the local community radio station. Finding none, she perused fcc.gov’s website and the seed of KMUZ was born! It is one of the proudest moments of her life when KMUZ broadcast its first song over the airwaves (“Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio” by the Ramones) in 2011 from our first studio at the Willamette Heritage Center in Salem.

Karen has had three programs on KMUZ since 2011: “Punk Rock with Dropkick”, “Radio Exotica” (co-hosting with Vicki Darden), and “10 Bestest” (co-hosting with Brian Hart). She currently produces “Chemistry Corner” – short segments created by Willamette University students who teach chemistry tidbits in an accessible way. She has been President of KMUZ’s governing board twice, Program Review Team leader, and has served in various other roles over the years. Karen is mom to two college students, Dean and Julian, and has been playing guitar and singing in rock bands since 1995. She is still a chemistry professor and is also a science communicator on various platforms, especially YouTube.

Vicki Darden (Board member)

Vicki is a many-decades-long consumer, supporter, leader, and creator of community radio. She is a founding Board member of KMUZ and former DJ (“Radio Exotica”).

Geoff Tiffany (Treasurer)

Geoff has been at KMUZ since 2015. He currently is the DJ of “Savage Circuitry” and “The Mid-Valley Metal Attack!” He has served on the KMUZ Board as its Treasurer since 2022. Outside of KMUZ, Geoff hikes, bikes, skis, travels, and occasionally works as a realtor. Geoff lives in Salem with his wife Natasha, daughter Emma, son Matthew, and dog Winston. 

Michael Beard (Board member, Chair of Program Review Team)

Michael Beard has been at KMUZ for over 8 years. He started as a volunteer in the office and has worked as an engineer for several KMUZ programs over the years. He is currently the KMUZ Program Director and joined the Board of Directors in 2023. Michael hosts "It's! The Weird Mike Beard Show" on Wednesday evenings.

Mike Kemper (Board member)

Mike was born and raised in Salem and Keizer. He has spent most of his career in Government service. He spent 6 years in the United States Air Force. He has been a firefighter, a 911 Dispatcher and is currently employed at Yamhill County Department of Planning. Mike has been a volunteer at Capital Community Media for nearly 5 years and has produced 18 episodes of the television program “Spotlight On Salem”. Mike is married and has 4 children and two stepchildren. 

Nicki Marazzani (Board member)

Nicki is a local professional with more than 31 years of experience in fundraising, event management, program development, and outreach. She has demonstrated creative approaches to marketing and public relations. Nicki lives in Salem and is the President/CEO of the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce & Visitor’s Center.

New Members for 2025

Charles Lewis, Capital Community Media

Holly Eckles, SMI Real Estate