Mountaineer Media Podcast

Dr. Lois Lucas joins the podcast and takes CJ and Cooper to school. She spent nearly three decades at WVSU teaching history and African American studies. In this episode we speak about influential Black West Virginians, education & much more.

Reverend Matthew J. Watts is the senior pastor of Grace Bible Church on Charleston's West Side and joins the podcast to discuss the importance of Black History Month, his lifetime of experience advocating for equal rights and the history of the state and race.

Sylvia M. Burwell is the current president of American University and joins the pod to discuss her journey from Hinton, WV all the way to the White House, the Bill Gates Foundation and more. We dive into how her upbringing shaped her life, and how we can shape future minds going forward.

Dr. Clay Marsh is West Virginia University’s chief health officer and the leader of WVU's school of medicine. He joins the podcast to discuss his role as West Virginia's COVID-19 czar, the pandemic’s impact on the Mountain State, his journey to how he got there and much more.

Afsheen Misaghi is the director of a new, four-part anthology series on Amazon Video out called 'Normal for Now'. He joins the podcast to discuss his series which  covers “COVID Lockdown Life” and is produced and cast by diverse Appalachians.

Chad Morrison, CEO of the Mountaineer Food Bank, joins the podcast to discuss their work in feeding West Virginians, the challenges of COVID,  logistics of running an organization like this and WV’s economic landscape today.

Dave Arnold, Co-Founder of Adventures on the Gorge in Fayetteville,  joins the podcast to discuss NRG’s new designation as a national park, his decades as a kayak guide on the river, and the evolution of his role in the company.

CJ and Cooper dive into their first non-guest episode to give the listeners a behind the scenes look at what goes into making a podcast, the origin story of Mountaineer Media, future plans for the company, how much the support from listeners means to them and much more!

Johnny McFadden, the Community Outreach Coordinator for Mountaineer Integrated Care, joins the pod to discuss medicinal cannabis, and its potential economic and health impact in the Mountain State. We also dive into the stigma and cultural nuances surrounding weed.

Terri Giles joins the pod to discuss her role at the Appalachian Beekeeping Collective, a nonprofit that trains, supports, and provides bees and equipment at no cost to partner beekeepers in economically distressed Appalachian communities. She also dives into her time working for former Senator Jay Rockafeller and how that led her to places like Japan.

Two time Tony Award winner Michael Cerveris joins the pod to discuss his journey from Huntington, WV to Broadway, the importance of performance & creative arts, what it takes to make it as an actor in film and theater, what West Virginia instilled in him as a young man and more!

Mike Hamrick is the Director of Athletics at Marshall University and joins the podcast to discuss the 50th anniversary of the 75 souls we lost in the tragic plane crash, how the program healed, the added challenges of COVID and sports gambling. Thanks again to Cypress for letting us use their song. You can listen to “Fly Again” by Cypress on all music platforms. You can also follow the Huntington...

Natalie Oliverio is the founder and CEO of Military Talent Partners and joins the pod to discuss her organization's mission, her personal journey of serving in the military, how transitioning back into civilian life isn’t always easy and more!

Jared Logan is a comedian and joins the pod to discuss his journey from Morgantown to stages around the world. We also talk about how humorists are adapting to the times. Need a laugh to get away from the stress of the election? Give this one a listen. 

Kevin Combs, chairman of the Country Roads Angel Network, joins the pod to discuss the importance getting WV entrepreneurs the capital they need, business lessons that have West Virginian roots, and the motivational lessons he's learned throughout his life.

Homer Hickam joins the pod to discuss his life as a NASA engineer, Vietnam veteran, best selling author, paleontologist and why we should get back to the moon.

Dan Smithson, CEO of StarUSA Federal Credit Union, joins the pod to discuss how the payroll protection program saved several small businesses in WV, the future of digital banking, the importance of financial literacy and more!

Terrell Ellis, Executive Director of Advantage Valley, joins the podcast to discuss how her team is bringing and keeping business in the Mountain State. She also talks about her role in expanding other opportunities like the outdoor tourism economy.

Dr. Sarah Tucker, the chancellor of the state Community and Technical College System and the Higher Education Policy Commission, joins the pod to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on higher education, how instruction has changed in the digital age and West Virginia’s problem with quality internet access.

Steve Murphy, former Bluefield cop and DEA agent, joins the pod to discuss his journey from West Virginia to Medellin, Columbia to help bring down one of the most notorious drug lords of the 20th century.

John Ellison joins the podcast to discuss how his hit song "Some Kind of Wonderful" came to be, how he has dealt with discrimination throughout his life as well as the continued fight for social equality that is still going on to this day.

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. joins the pod to discuss his incredible run in the 2011 America's Got Talent competition, what it means to be from West Virginia, having Bill Withers as a mentor and much more! Music Courtesy: “That’s Life,” Come Home To West Virginia,” and “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head” by Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.

Dennis Gillan joins the pod to discuss his personal journey to becoming a mental health advocate, what it was like coming to the mountain state for the first time and much more!

Eric Eyre, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter and author of 'Death in Mud Lick' joins the pod to discuss how his reporting cracked open the public-health crisis that rocked not only West Virginia but the country as a whole. We also talk about the state of local journalism, where we go from here and much more.

CEO of Mister Bee's Chips, Mary Anne Ketelsen joins the pod to discuss what it's like operating the only chip manufacturer in WV, what all goes into making these delicious chips, her work in the community and much more!