The College of Arts and Letters at California State University, San Bernardino has hired two widely recognized media experts to manage the university’s Coyote Radio and Advertising: Alfredo Cruz and Kelli Cluqué.
Cruz is a recent general manager for KVCR TV, KVCR FM, and for the First Nations Experience television network. During his earlier career, Cruz was president and chief executive officer of jazz station KUVO in Denver, and station manager at KRTU in San Antonio.
A well-known air personality at WBGO in Newark and KKJZ, Long Beach, Cruz also spent many years as a producer and reporter for National Public Radio; a studio engineer for United Nations Radio, and his productions have been broadcast nation-wide — even carried on United Airlines and Air Force One.
He is a recipient of a Corporation for Public Broadcasting fellowship, the prestigious Kiplinger Fellowship in Investigative and Public Affairs Reporting, and numerous awards from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. In addition, Cruz has taught at the university and college level, and has contributed to the Smithsonian Institution.
Cruz earned a bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film from the University of Texas at Austin, and a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. He is an alumnus of the inaugural class of the PBS Executive Leadership Network, and serves on the board of directors for the Latino Public Radio Consortium, a Corporation for Public Broadcasting-funded organization focused on increasing Latino participation in broadcasting.
Cluqué is the recent associate program director and air personality at KCAL FM/KOLA in Redlands. Cluqué has more than 50,000 hours of live, on-air experience. She has managed broadcast facilities in Corpus Christi, Texas; Chico, California; San Diego, California; and in the Inland Empire, where she has managed KCAL FM, KCXX and KATY.
Cluqué began her career in the Inland Empire as a broadcaster at KGGI 99.1. Later she served as assistant to internationally respected broadcast consultant and media sociologist Jerry Clifton. She earned an associate degree in communications at San Bernardino Valley College, and bachelor’s degree in radio, television and film management from San Diego State University.
While programming XHRM – “The Flash” in San Diego and KCAL FM in Redlands, Cluqué led promotions and marketing projects that generated millions of followers and hundreds of thousands of dollars for her stations, and for nonprofits in those communities.
Cruz and Cluqué replace former managers Lacey Kendall and Jacob Poore. Kendall now oversees the Paws Radio Program at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, and continues to consult Coyote Radio and Advertising, and the San Bernardino campus on broadcast issues. Poore now serves as senior associate of marketing at UC Irvine.
“We’re just thrilled to bring this caliber of leadership to our program,” Kendall said. “Considering the incredible experience and connections they both have in radio, television and advertising, internship opportunities can only continue to grow. Our students will be learning from two extraordinary broadcast legends.”
The two new leaders began their duties on July 16 and will team with professor Penny Drake-Green, who oversees academic offerings of the program, and Bliss Grey, who continues to manage the entrepreneurial marketing projects of Coyote Advertising.
Coyote Radio and Advertising is a learning laboratory open to all students of CSUSB. The program offers hands-on instruction in radio broadcasting, digital audio and video production, social media strategy, public relations, advertising, marketing, graphic design, media programming, promotion, radio syndication, and broadcast journalism.
The program has placed more than 100 CSUSB students into internships and career-level positions. Graduates of the program have gone on to work with Westbound Communications, CBS Entertainment, NBC News, iHeart Media, Ignited Advertising, ESRI, Walt Disney Productions, Universal Media LLC, Los Angeles News Group, and many more.