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WNEG AM 630 STAFF
 Phil
HobbsVP & General Manager
hobbs@gacaradio.com
Phil Hobbs has
been the General Manager of WNEG since 2001. Hobbs is a graduate of Needham
Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C. and has degrees from The University Of
South Carolina and Lander University. Hobbs began his radio career in 1984 at WBCU in Union, SC as a part-time announcer. Career turns included full-time
announcing stints at WCRS in Greenwood, S.C., and WESC in Greenville, S.C. Hobbs
returned to WBCU in 1989 as Program Director, Morning Announcer, and Sports
Director. While in this position Hobbs twice earned Sports announcer of the year
awards from the South Carolina Broadcasting Association. Hobbs became General
Manager of WBCU in 1997 and remained in that position until moving to Toccoa in
2001. While General Manager of WBCU Hobbs served as Chairman of the Chamber of
Commerce and Vice-President of the Union Rotary Club. Upon leaving Union, Hobbs
was awarded a letter of recognition by the City of Union for service to the
community. Since joining WNEG in 2001 Hobbs has served as Chairman of the
Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce and has sat on the boards of the
Toccoa Rotary Club, and The United Way. Under Hobbs management WNEG was Small
Market Station of the Year by The Georgia Broadcasting Association in 2003.
Hobbs is married to the former Betsy Stalnaker of Union, S.C. and has two boys:
Richard and Ben.
Ken BradySales Manager
kbrady@gacaradio.com
You might say
Ken Brady grew up at WNEG. Ken started his career in radio here in 1977, working
as an afternoon announcer. “I had only been on-the-air two weeks when I got to
announce that Elvis Presley had died,” he remembered. While in college at Young
Harris and the University of Georgia, Ken honed his radio skills working
part-time, mainly on weekends. After graduation in 1981, Ken was hired full-time
as an account executive and announcer. Now WNEG’s Sales Manager, Ken keeps a
busy schedule of work and family. When not selling, Ken’s voice can be heard as
the play-by-play announcer for Indians Football and he also produces and
co-hosts the “The Crunch Time Show” every Thursday during football season. Ken
is married to his high school sweetheart Karen. They have two sons, Josh and
Matthew. They attend First Alliance Church in Toccoa where he sings in the
choir. He is also the publicity chairman for the Stephens County High School
Band Boosters.
Connie GainesOperations Manager
& Air Personality
cgaines@gacaradio.com
The
Gaines name has been synonymous with
broadcasting in Northeast Georgia since 1956. Connie's father, Roy, and his
brother Chuck Gaines started WNEG Radio in 1956 and so Connie was raised in a
radio family. She was a member of the last graduating class of Toccoa High
School and attended Auburn University majoring in Mass Communication. Connie
started full time work at WNEG the day after graduation from college. Her father
told her that her schooling was over and now her education would begin. That
education has included not only over 25 years at WNEG Radio, but 17 years as
Program Director at WNEG-TV. During its Centennial Celebration of the admission
of women, Auburn University named Connie one of 400 outstanding women graduates
in special ceremonies at the school. Connie is an active member of St. Matthias'
Episcopal Church in Toccoa where she participates as a lay reader, choir member,
and Eucharistic Visitor.
Listen to "The Connie Gaines Show" on AM 630-WNEG Monday-Friday from
6:00am to 11:00am.
Charlie comes to WNEG by
way of both Pennsylvania and North Carolina. After growing up in Allentown,
Pennsylvania, Charlie attended Penn State University, graduating in May of 2004
with a degree in broadcast journalism. While at Penn State, Charlie covered Penn
State football and basketball, along with news and other sports. Upon
graduation, he made his way to WNEG’s sister station, WRGC, in Sylva, North
Carolina. Charlie spent just over three years at WRGC covering news and some
sports. While in North Carolina, Charlie met his fiancée and they are currently
planning their wedding. Charlie is very excited to be a part of the team at AM
630 WNEG.
 Robin
DakeNewsReporter
rdake@gacaradio.com
While not a true native
of Toccoa, Robin has lived in Stephens County long enough to consider herself a
citizen. She and husband, Roc, moved to Toccoa in 1991 and have lived in "the
suburbs" of Eastanollee since 1994. She began her career as a newspaper reporter
at the Daily Sun in Warner Robins, Ga. Since then, she has worked Camp Mikell
for 11 years, and as the director of the Upper Etowah River Alliance for 4
years. Robin is excited to be back in local journalism and enjoys learning the
ends and outs of radio journalism (though learning the push all the buttons
right has been a challenge). She is an active member of St. Matthias Episcopal
Church, where she serves on the vestry, lay reads and heads the New Orleans
Recovery Ministry. Robin and Roc have two daughters, Tory and Lacy.
Kathy BrownAdministrative
Assistant/Receptionist
kbrown@gacaradio.com
Kathy was born and
raised in Stephens County, graduating from Stephens County High School in 1973.
She earned her BOT degree from North Georgia Tech in 2006. She worked at Coats
American for 25 years and now is the smiling face and voice that greets you when
you come by the station. Kathy loves to bake and spoiling her nephew and great-nieces and
nephews.
Rick Eller began his
career in radio in 1975 as a walk-on at WIAF-AM radio in Clarkesville, Georgia.
He became the weekend deejay at the station while he studied Broadcast
Journalism at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Georgia. After a year in
school, WIAF offered Rick a fulltime job and he became the station’s news
director as well as afternoon deejay.
Since WIAF, Rick has
worked at twelve radio stations in North Georgia including markets in Rome,
Gainesville, Cornelia, Murrayville, Clayton, Clarkesville and Toccoa. Rick
studied English education for a year at Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia in
1992. Rick has the distinction of being the first broadcaster to announce the
dam break at Toccoa Falls in 1977 just moments after it happened while working
at WFOX-FM in Gainesville.
Rick is currently the
community calendar coordinator at WNEG-AM and can be heard on the air Monday
through Friday from 11:00-am to 1:00-pm and again from 3:00-pm to 6:00-pm and
Saturday 6:00-am to 11:00-am.
Rick enjoys studying
theology and bible archaeology, stargazing, building scale model cars and
airplanes, and writing poetry. He resides in Clarkesville. Rick has four
children: Jonathan, Joanna, Jessica and Natalie.
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Charlie Bauder