Karla’s story begins long before her first day behind a microphone—back when she was just a kid who wanted to be famous. At around ten years old, she and a friend choreographed a skit to Charlie Dore’s Pilot of the Airwaves. It was practiced and performed several times to family and friends who were willing to listen. In hindsight, the performance and the song felt almost prophetic—a glimpse into a future that would unfold across more than three decades in radio.

Years later, while deciding between colleges and career dreams, Karla found clarity in the most unassuming way: a poster in her Guidance Counselor’s office. It advertised Southwest State University in Marshall, Minnesota, and among the listed majors was “Radio and TV Communications.” The search was over, and the path forward was clear.

In 1992, Karla took her first real job in radio, landing a part-time role at KKCK in Marshall. That turned into a full-time position where she did middays and eventually became the night jock. Trying to get her foot in the door in the Sioux Falls market, she spent weekends pulling overnight shifts at Sioux Falls stations like KELO-FM, KPAT, and KAT Country.

Her determination paid off. In 1994, when KAT Country rebranded to Mix 97-3, Karla made her move. She reached out to Program Director Scott Maguire—who had already been her boss at KPAT—and told him she wanted to be on Mix 97-3. Karla returned as a part-time employee, but it didn’t take long before she found herself hosting middays.

After decades on the air, life presented a new challenge. In 2020, health issues led Karla to make the difficult decision to step away from the microphone. But her story in radio didn’t end—it evolved. Today, she continues to shape the sound of the industry as Production Manager at Townsquare Media in Sioux Falls, proving that even off the air, her influence is still very much heard.

Awards