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April 30, 2023 4 mins

This short episode is an introduction to your hosts

Michael Gaither is a lifelong south county resident. He's a performing songwriter, a DJ with KPIG radio, and a music columnist for the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper. He's also hosted podcasts in the past. He's a Gen X'er (technically a boomer, but he's an old punk, so he identifies with Gen X. It also make him feel young. Denial is a strong tool.) 

Emily Stansill is our on-staff Millennial. She's a Santa Cruz County transplant who moved to the area seven years ago, and we're not letting her leave. With Michael and Emily's demographic and geographic differences - she lives in mid county - we get two very different, and complementary perspectives. 

Joe Bettencourt is our producer, lurking on the interviews and providing additional insight to the series. 

About the Area 831 Podcast team:

Michael Gaither, Host

A lifelong resident and South County native, Michael is an award-winning, performing songwriter, a DJ on the legendary KPIG radio, and an arts correspondent with the Santa Cruz Sentinel. He’s also produced and hosted podcasts in the past, including his own “Songs and Stories” in addition to several corporate series.

Learn more about Michael: michaelgaither.com - Facebook - Instagram.

Emily Stansell, Host

A transplant to the Santa Cruz area, Emily moved to the area after college and didn’t actually plan on staying here for more than a year. But lo and behold, this place has taken a hold of her

Joe Bettencourt, Producer

Born and raised in Watsonville, Joe’s background is in Digital Marketing. He has produced several campaigns and programs while working at Yahoo, Plantronics/Poly, Realtor.com and Palo Alto Networks. His first job in Santa Cruz was at the Boardwalk, Working for Whitings Foods during high school (1987-91).

Learn more about Joe: Facebook - Instagram

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