News and Operations

Geoff Norcross Program Director/All Things Considered host Geoff began his radio career at 16, doing hay reports and funeral notices at a little AM station in the hills of West Virginia. Since then, he has worked in a variety of formats in several markets. He had a national audience for his late-night classical music program on New York's SW Networks. Geoff also won Tampa Bay A.I.R. and Associated Press awards as best newscaster. He has also won Edward R. Murrow and AP awards for his reporting. As Program Director, Geoff shapes the network-quality sound of KNAU's local productions. Geoff lives in Flagstaff with his beautiful and patient wife Kristy. In his spare time, he spends every possible moment outdoors, going on foot.     Daniel Kraker News Director/Indian Country News Bureau Correspondent Dan began filing reports for KNAU from northern Arizona's Indian reservations in 2001, and now heads up KNAU's Indian Country News Bureau. Dan has collected awards for his reporting on the growing importance of the Native American vote, the long tradition of running on the Hopi reservation, and the search for the perfect swimming hole. He's also a national Murrow Award winner in radio documentary for his story on gay Native America for Outright Radio. Dan also writes regularly for publications including High Country News and American Indian Report magazine. When he's not exploring the canyons and mesas of the Four Corners with his wife Erin, daughter Mia, and black lab Moe, Dan can often be found on Flagstaff's disc golf courses, mountain biking, and spending way too much time managing his fantasy football team.   Gillian Ferris Kohl Reporter/Morning Edition host Gillian came to KNAU in 2001 as a freelance reporter. Her first story won an Arizona Associated Press Award. Since then, Gillian has won numerous other AP Awards and several Edward R. Murrow Awards for writing, feature reporting and documentary work. She is also the local anchor of NPR’s Morning Edition. Gillian’s accolades aren’t limited to radio journalism. In 1975, she won a 10-speed bike for being named the Winchell’s Donut Artist of the Year. Gillian is also the San Diego County Cup Soccer Champion of 1978.   Laurel Morales Reporter Laurel Morales is an award-winning reporter on KNAU Arizona Public Radio. At a young age she often alerted her parents of her older siblings mischief and became known as the informer. She decided to follow her calling after interning at Mother Jones Magazine and KQED in San Francisco. She received her master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism then covered education for the Elgin Courier News. Laurel returned to radio as a Mainstreet reporter at Minnesota Public Radio. She strives to find the unheard voice and tell all sides of the story. As a journalist she loves meeting people from all walks of life and feels privileged to help them tell their stories.   Mark  Herz Reporter/Weekend Edition host Before becoming a journalist, Mark worked in psychiatric nursing for a dozen years - the latter half of which he also went to Yale part-time, earning a BA in Linguistics.  Then it was on to Columbia University for an MS in Journalism.  While in NYC, he reported from Ground Zero on September 11th and fell in love with radio.  Originally from Connecticut, Mark came to Arizona in 2004.  Before working with KNAU, he reported on just about everything in Camp Verde for the local newspaper there.  If pressed, he'd take Stax over Motown, Ravel over Debussy, and the Tuscan over the Flagstaff at Fratelli - but only if pressed.    Theresa Bierer Announcer/Reporter Theresa started at KNAU in 1995. She hosted All Things Considered and Morning Edition until 1997 when her first daughter was born. In the years since, you may have heard her on weekends, or filling in for other announcers who travel on assignment or vacations. Theresa's favorite job (after wife and mother) is reporting. She says she sees the world around her as a story waiting to be told. Theresa began her career in 1980 as a high school TV news anchor. Her first paid job started in 1983 at Flagstaff's KCLS Radio. She did TV News in Oregon, Minnesota, South Dakota & Wisconsin before returning to Arizona and recognizing it as 'home.' Brian Sanders Network Operations Manager Brian is a 33-year broadcast veteran.  His previous positions include Morning Edition host at KCRW in Santa Monica, remote engineer for LA’s top-rated 94.7 The Wave, Program Director at KUNV and Senior Producer at KNPR, both in Las Vegas. His classical music recordings have been heard on Performance Today and he recorded and produced the internationally award-winning public radio series Four Queens Jazz Night from Las Vegas for nearly its entire 12-year run. He’s particularly proud of audio tours he produced for the J. Paul Getty Museum and for the Henry E. Huntington Art Gallery, both located in southern California.  Outside of radio, he’s played saxophone for Joe Williams, Frank Sinatra Jr., Bob Hope, The Temptations, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, and Wayne Newton. He can land an airplane in instrument conditions and will remind you that Hall of Fame first baseman Ernie “Mr Cub” Banks wore uniform number 14 (retired).