JD Chandler is a natural-born entertainer. As an on-air personality (with Air 1 since 2003), musician and live theater buff, he is happiest when performing on community theaters and coffee house stages across northern California. When he’s not reading books by Donald Miller or Brennan Manning, whom he finds particularly fascinating, he’ll be engrossed in a Shakespeare play or studying the original King James version of the Bible. He’s a lover of all things metaphoric and finds exploring obscure Biblical parables enjoyable
JD has been satisfying his appetite for travel by joining several mission/vision trips in order to witness God’s feats around the world. His most recent trips included visits to Africa, India, China, Cambodia and Indonesia.
As mystifying as she is engaging, Coppelia gets as big a kick out of playing Tetris on her cell phone as she does reading a C.S. Lewis book on theology. She credits her introspective, classical pianist dad and let’s-have-a-party mom for her ability to chat her way through a room as easily as she soaked up every word during her semester in seminary and debated court cases during a year studying law. Wide-eyed and perky, it’s no surprise that Coppelia leads worship at her church on Sundays or that she has built her own way-cool MySpace page. Her laugh is contagious and so is her enthusiasm. No doubt, if you listen to her on Air 1 much, you’ll hear her say one of her favorite words, “Woo Hoo!”
Coppelia’s passion for life stems from knowing how much God has blessed her. Just before leaving her job as program director for a Christian station in Puerto Rico and moving to California with her new husband, Adam, the young couple got knocked off their feet. Adam was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Because their new life was shaky, Coppelia kept her eyes steady on God, looking to Him for support and guidance. He gave her a scripture, telling her that although she couldn’t see it now, He would bless her over and over again. Soon after that, Adam recovered and Coppelia found out she was going to have a baby. She landed her dream job at Air 1 Radio and moved to California. Life is good. And since Coppelia knows she has God to thank for it, she’s eager to share the news with Air 1 listeners.
Despite describing his childhood as a pop cultural black hole, Shawn Farrington knew from an early age he wanted to be in radio.
Shawn grew up strongly influenced by his parents and knew from an early age he wanted to work in ministry; but once in college he followed another dream and attained a criminal justice degree with the goal of joining the FBI. Even so, God had other plans for Shawn and steered him to a job vacancy ad at EMF Broadcasting. Shawn began working odd hours running sound in the station’s control room and soon began writing spots and promotions for the creative services department. Next thing he knew he was behind the Air 1 microphones. Now Shawn splits his time between on-air and production work.
For Eric Allen, the best part of working at Air 1 is knowing that while he’s having a great time, he’s also helping people who are searching for something they can hold on to in this got-to-have-it-all culture: God. Whether he’s talking about Jesus or giving us the latest scoop on an artist, Eric’s roll-with-it spontaneity always makes Air 1 fun to listen to. Well, that and his uncanny aptitude for finding humor in everyday life (Remember the day he admitted on-air to dropping his cell phone in the toilet?)
Eric’s ability to look on the bright side and spot humor in nearly every situation (plus a knack for quoting lines from goofy Will Ferrell movies) helps him juggle a plethora of roles from Air 1 announcer to husband, father-of-two, youth basketball coach and dedicated church leader. With this plate-full of responsibility and being raised in the bustling city of Chicago, Ill. you’d think he’d be pulled as tight as a guitar string, but a combination of solid radio experience coupled with his sunny personality and laidback, humble attitude keep him grounded in his faith and planted firmly on his path. Maybe that’s why Eric climbed steadily through the radio ranks over the years from his first job in college as a part-time announcer at WONU in Chicago to an announcer on Air 1 Radio Network.
Kelli Caldwell met Air 1’s DJ Julie Williams at a Spirit West Coast event that had God’s hand all over it. The two talked about their favorite bands and the awesome impact Christian music has had on them and people in their lives. They hit it off and the next thing she knew she was arranging to send a voice demo to EMF Broadcasting, the parent company of Air 1 and K-LOVE Radio.
At the time, Kelli was on the air at a mainstream radio station in central California. A long-time listener of Christian music, working for Air 1 seemed beyond the realm of possibility. But within a year she and her family relocated to the Sacramento, CA, area so she could go behind the mic for K-LOVE. Catch her on Air 1 on the weekends.
Always on the move, Scott Smith is just a regular guy who thinks music is about the coolest thing this side of heaven, loves all kinds of sports (he’s a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan), and will make a competitive game out of pretty much anything, even shopping. Just ask his wife, Missy. But when it comes to God, Scott stops in his tracks. He knows his job on the Air 1 Morning Show is to just play the music, have fun and let God do the rest—and that he learned by personal experience. Scott started working in radio when he was 15. As he listened to Christian music—and grew in his relationship with Jesus—he came to see that God meant for radio to be an even bigger part of his life—it would be his ministry. Before coming to Air 1, Scott hosted a Morning Show at a Christian music station in Orlando, Florida for 12 years.
So each day, as Scott grabs the mic and starts spinning tunes on Air 1, he prays that God will help him be a friend to everyone who listens. The music, whether it’s a Switchfoot rock song or a Jeremy Camp worship tune, it opens the door for Scott, a former youth pastor, to tell people that Jesus loves them. He isn’t preachy, though. Because God is so much a part of his life, he just talks about what’s going on in his world. One day, he might talk about how a musician friend of his just got back from a mission trip or how God was obviously moving to encourage people even during a recent national tragedy. Scott and his wife Missy have 3 kids and a cat. As a family, they spend their time being very active in church, at school, in sports, and with anything else that’s fun!
Spend a few days with Air 1's multi-talented Kim Snyder and she's bound to surprise you— a lot! At night she keeps you company with great Air 1 music, but during the day you might find her building a pond in her back yard, transforming her son's room into a deserted island (complete with a pirate ship for a bed), planting an herb garden or even singing as the opening act of a concert. Yep, it's true—Kim's not only one of Air 1's best on-air personalities, but she's also got a great singing voice and has led worship and opened for acts like Superchic[k] and Sonicflood at festivals. Who'd have guessed that?
Overflowing with energy, this mom of four likes to keep her life busy and sizzling with activity. Watching movies and reading anything but do-it-yourself books will surely put Kim to sleep, but suggest she learn how to build a radio studio in her home and she's all over it! That contagious faith that she “can do anything” overflows to her radio show on Air 1, where she nudges listeners to think about how powerful God is, how much He's blessed their lives and how important it is to give Him thanks. And while Kim has been blessed with a successful radio career that started at a small Christian station when she was just 15, and catapulted her into mainstream radio, she's had her share of trying experiences—divorce, raising kids as a single mom, going through the whole single life thing once again and then getting remarried to Vance, whom she calls “the perfect husband.” That's why listening to her show is just like hanging out with a good friend. Kim can relate to people in most all life situations, because if she hasn't already been down that road, she's probably walking it now.
A certifiable tomboy, you won't find Sterling spending her weekends scrapbooking or trying out new recipes from Rachael Ray. You're more likely to spot her streaking by on her Harley with her husband, Shawn. Gregarious and playful, Air 1's afternoon chick loves an adventure-especially if it involves spending time outdoors. If she can't get outside, she'll settle for reading the Bible with her hubby, watching a football game or the Discovery Channel. Plus, she loves playing with her pitbull, Brodie, and volunteers her time at animal rescues to save pitbulls and try to change the public's opinion of what she says is a wonderful, misunderstood breed.
Aside from her passion for God and animals, Sterling thrives on music. So after she graduated from American Broadcasting School in Tulsa, OK, she hosted shows at several mainstream radio stations in Texas, Nebraska, Iowa and Oklahoma. Then, a little over a year ago, Sterling felt God calling her to Christian radio. Although she enjoyed her midday radio show on Q98.5, a popular adult contemporary station in Omaha, Neb., where she had worked for the past four years, she knew deep down God was leading her to use her talents for a ministry. So stepping into the afternoon show on Air 1 was totally a God thing for Sterling. Every day, she gets excited and is humbled knowing that she plays a small part in God touching people's lives through music.