alligators,” Maverick laughs. “He was fascinated by them. He is
from Oklahoma and had apparently never seen one in real life
when we met.”
Maverick admits he was the most star-struck by one country
artist in particular. “Garth Brooks is the name that instantly comes
to mind,” he says. “I’ve had the chance to interview him on the
phone a few times. However, in the last few years, I’ve been
blessed to meet and interview him in person twice. He is just a
genuinely nice person.”
Rise of a Radio Personality
It’s no wonder why Maverick has such a strong connection with
the Suncoast community. He’s lived here most of his life.
His parents moved to Venice, Florida when Maverick was in the
1st grade. He attended Venice Elementary School, Venice Middle
School, and Venice High School. After high school graduation,
he attended broadcasting school in Tampa.
But he did not always have plans to become a country radio host.
At rst, Maverick had an eye on a career in sports broadcasting. “I
got into to the business because of my love of sports,” he explains.
“When I was very young, my goal was to be a sportscaster.”
After he graduated from broadcasting school, Maverick received
his first internship with WCTQ/WAMR Radio. “Soon into my
internship, my rst on air role was as the pregame and halftime host
and sideline reporter for Venice High School football games,” he
says. “As my experience grew, I was assigned other roles and jobs.”
During this time, Maverick discovered he enjoyed other
broadcasting positions outside of sports. “I initially wanted to
go into TV, but I fell in love with radio,” he explains. “The ability
to connect and talk with listeners every day is so much fun and
rewarding. From having a laugh to tackling tough and important
issues together is what radio is about: A true connection.”
Evolution of Local Radio
In today’s world of 24-hour news, social media, and information
at your ngertips, Maverick says people often ask him if working
in local radio is the same as it was 20 years ago. “The answer is
yes and no,” he remarks. “It has changed, but for the better. In
fact, just as many if not more people listen to local radio today as
they did 20 years ago. We live in a world that is so ‘on-demand,’
yet there is less and less local content available. One place
where you still get that info is local radio,” he says. “We are still
here getting the word out about what is important to you. Local
radio is your community partner, and that is what I love about it.”
And it’s pretty obvious that Maverick has a soft spot for this
community. “I absolutely love the Manatee and Sarasota county
area,” he enthuses. “I so enjoy the outdoors in this spectacular
place where we live.” When he’s not working or volunteering,
Maverick says he spends time kayaking, boating, shing, scuba
diving, mountain biking, and spending time on the beach.
“I also enjoy live events, sports, and music - and my favorite part
of that is tailgating with friends before. I love spending time with
family and friends. Many of my friends I consider family.”
Host with a Heart
With deep roots in the community and a passion for philanthropy,
Maverick takes every opportunity to get involved with local
charities. He is a volunteer and committee member for the
Sarasota National Cemetery and also does a lot of charity work
for local rst responders.
“We recently held a ‘banner signing’ event showing community
support for ALL in law enforcement,” he says. “We also help
with community events they host, including fundraising, toy
and food drives for the sheriff’s departments, Pack the Patrol
Car with school supplies for the local police departments, and
Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Fill the Boot drives for our
re departments.”
Garth Brooks at Pirate City
In CTQ Studio with Manatee Sheriff Rick Wells and Lulu
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