Public Radio Engineering Organization recognizes veteran broadcast engineer with the 2022 APRE Meritorious Service Award

 

Rich Parker is Director of Engineering at Coast Alaska, Inc, Juneau, Alaska.

 

The APRE Engineering Award is granted on an annual basis to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the art and/or science of radio engineering that has made a significant impact on, or improvement in the state of the public radio industry.

 

According to APRE President Victoria St. John, “Rich was one of the founding members of the board of APRE. He has been an active part of the public radio engineering community for decades. I had the privilege of working with him for many years at Vermont Public Radio, and I am proud and pleased for Rich to be recognized for his years of inventive and cheerful service.”

 

Rich’s tours of duty have included a decade at WHYY in Philadelphia as a master control and studio engineer, followed by 17 years as Director of Engineering at Vermont Public Radio. Since 2014, Rich has been Director of Engineering for Coast Alaska, handling broadcast engineering and IT support, planning and management for the seven Coast Alaska stations, based in Juneau, Alaska.

 

Rich Parker was in at the beginning of the creation of the Association of Public Radio Engineers when the nonprofit APRE was created to carry on the work of the Public Radio Engineering Conference in 2006.

 

APRE is honored and pleased to recognize Rich Parker as our 2022 award recipient, presented Friday April 22, 2022 at the Public Radio Engineers Conference Dinner in Las Vegas, just prior to the NAB Show. Details at https://www.apre.us

Rich Parker. joins an illustrious group of honorees for the APRE Engineering Achievement Award, including the following:

 

Jeff Welton of Nautel, Inc

Bruce Wahl, NPR

Dan Mansergh KQED

Ralph Hogan, past founding president of APRE

Ralph Woods, NPR

Bud Aiello, NPR

Gray Frierson Haertig, Consulting Engineer

Michael LeClair, chief engineer for WBUR(FM)

Mike Starling, former Vice President, Technology Research Center and NPR Labs

Roger Karwoski, Assistant Manager and Director of Engineering for KBIA

Donald Creighton, VP of Technology for Minnesota Public Radio and APM

Richard Cassidy, Director of IT and New Media for WAMU(FM), Washington

The late Wayne Hetrich, one of NPR's 30 original employees

Chuck Leavens, Director of Engineering and IT management for WDUQ, Pittsburgh

Marty Bloss, former Director of Technology at NPR

Don Danko, Vice President for Engineering, Cincinnati Public Radio

John Kean of NPR Labs, part of NPR Distribution's Technology Research Center

The late Jim McEachern of NPR

Mike Pappas of KUVO in Denver

Doug Vernier of V-Soft Communications

The late Chuck Mellone, PTFP/NTIA – 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award

Dennis L. Haarsager, NPR, Northwest Public Radio – 2010 Technology Vision Award