Colette Czarnecki

My interest in public media began at a young age. Growing up in Michigan, I spent hours listening to radio shows on my cassette player and recording them onto tapes for imagined media projects.

Years later, while earning a degree in environmental science, I discovered "This American Life" and realized storytelling could be more than a hobby. After completing graduate studies in journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder, I worked briefly for a community newspaper in Colorado before heading north to Southeast Alaska. There, I served as the news director at a public radio station in Wrangell, a remote island in a temperate rainforest, with a community of just over 2,000 residents.

As UPR’s news director, I am excited to return to the Four Corners region and work with reporters to tell impactful stories from across Utah.

Outside of work, I spend much of my time with my senior dog, Alice. Together we enjoy hiking, exploring new places and relaxing at home. I am also an avid collector of cookbooks and value staying connected with friends and family near and far.