A Soaring Spirit

After the abrupt end of my 9-year teaching career in April of 2012, I was plagued with a great deal of uncertainty as to what I wanted to do. I'd known for a while that I wanted to give radio a second shot after a dismal first attempt back in high school (the full story is a post for another day).

After trying to get a gig at then Regent Broadcasting for a number of years while also teaching, I'd given up. While doing a long-term sub at my alma mater, Vermilion Catholic, my wife and I decided I needed to attend a job fair. Long story short, I met two great ladies there and was able, finally, to get my foot in the door at Townsquare Media, home to KTDY, KPEL, the Dawg, and others.

I was impressed by all of the people I met, each a local celebrity whose voices were so familiar yet somewhat surprising emanating from faces I'd never seen. CJ, Debbie Ray, Steve Wiley, Bruce Mikels, Jude Walker, Bernadette Lee, Ken Romero, Brandon Comeaux, Nathan Pike, Stephanie Crist, and the guy who made me laugh out loud just about daily in college, Michael Scott, formerly "Tard" of Planet Radio.

And then there was John Falcon, a.k.a. Jaycee, who you definitely know if you listen to KTDY after 3 PM. I knew of Jaycee from the times I occasionally tuned in to KTDY in the afternoons, but I usually had the radio on KPEL for news after school.

Jaycee was the guy who got the probably not-so-enviable task of training this ginger newbie. I was intimidated by meeting the aforementioned people and just by being in the control rooms of the various stations, but Jaycee, a fellow Abbevillian, put me at ease instantly. John is easily one of the funniest, friendliest, kindest, and most generous people I've ever met. He gives without a second thought, is genuinely interested in and concerned about people, and is passionate about his work and helping others. He is also a remarkable educator in his own right, a fact I don't think he realizes but one that is nonetheless true. He allayed my numerous fears of being behind the mic and the board and gave me a foundation in broadcasting knowledge that has given me a confidence I wouldn't have imagined possible in the short amount of time I've been filling in at KTDY.


As I mentioned, John is passionate about helping people, especially those who have special needs. For the last eight years, he has been the heart, mind, and soul of The Jeep Jaunt, an annual event he created that benefits The American Lung Association. The Jaunt is his baby and has personal meaning to him; John lost his mother to asthma and wants to do all he can to lessen and hopefully one day end the suffering he watched his mother experience.



It's fitting John's last name is "falcon." When it comes to giving of his time, talent, and treasure to help others, his is a soaring spirit. John has been named Louisiana's Volunteer of the Year by The American Lung Association. Click here to read what the ALA wrote about John in the "Volunteer Vision" portion of their website, and click here to learn more about The Jeep Jaunt and The Jeep Jaunt Jam, which launches the registration for the 2013 Jeep Jaunt.