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Staff
Russell Dean, General Manager | email Russell
Russell Dean was born in Montgomery and grew up in Jackson, Alabama. In 1974 he married his high school sweetheart, Amy Morton. Graduating from Auburn in 1975 with a degree in Mass Communications, he didn’t know that degree would prove useful thirty years later in 2005. Russell was a high school football and baseball coach for seven years at Jackson High School. He was fortunate to be on the 1979 football staff that won the AAA State Championship. Several years later he became the sales manager with New York Life in Mobile.
After graduating from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1989, he served churches in Louisiana and Alabama before coming on board with Faith Broadcasting in February of 2005.
Russell and Amy have three grown children. Sam and wife, Sherise, live in Hazel Green with daughter, Elin (May 2011). Benjamin serves in the Alabama National Guard as a 2nd Lieutenant. Emily is a math instructor and husband, Devin teaches biology at Pelham High School. Emily, Devin, and grandparents welcomed Dean Patrick Murray in June 2008, and Emma James Murray in November 2009.
Bob Crittenden, Director of Special Projects | email Bob |
Host of "The Meeting House"
Bob Crittenden was born in Marietta, Georgia, in the greater Atlanta area, on April 7, 1959, and remained in his hometown through 1976. When he graduated from Marietta High School, Bob departed for college at the University of Tennessee, where he earned a B.S. Degree in Communications.
While attending UT in Knoxville, he began his broadcasting career in 1978, working weekends at WKVQ, a local Christian radio station. Other stints in Knoxville included a Top 40 and Country outlet, before going “back home” to the metro Atlanta area to WYNX, a Christian station, in 1980, where he served as not only an Account Executive, but also as an announcer, and did play-by-play for high school football and basketball games.
Bob’s Alabama experience began with WDJC-FM in Birmingham in 1982, where he served as Program Director, Account Executive, and co-host of the station’s morning show. He also served as Sales Manager and Account Executive at WBAM-FM in Montgomery.
Bob arrived at Faith Radio in 1991, hosted “Morning Praise” for 13 years, and, in 2004, launched “The Meeting House”, a program of music and conversation heard weekday afternoons from 4 until 6.
In 1990, Bob married his wife, Beth, a graduate of Prattville High School and Huntingdon College in Montgomery. She teaches at Forest Avenue Academic Magnet School. Their first child, AnnaBeth, was born in 1995, and their second child, Eric, came along in 1997. Bob enjoys reading and music. Beth likes cooking, reading, and scrapbooking.
Billy Irvin, Director of Ministry Relations | email Billy
Billy Irvin and his wife, Camilla, have two daughters, Nikki and Alissa, and a son-in-law Beau. He graduated from Auburn University Montgomery with a degree in Business. Billy has over 25 years of business computer technology experience with software design, development, and support. He also has 5 years experience in radio broadcasting. Billy was born and raised in Montgomery.
At Faith Radio, Billy is responsible for speaking at public events, making personal visits to churches, and events in the community that promote Christ at work. He is responsible for planning events for Faith Radio’s fund-raising. Billy participates in the on-air ministry team, making remote broadcasts from throughout the listening area that covers a potential audience of over 750,000 people in Central and South Alabama, Northeast Alabama, Southwest Georgia and the Florida panhandle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including listeners over the internet. He regularly communicates on the air to share stories of God’s faithfulness. Billy says, “Faith Radio is a regular part of my daily life and has taught me to be a better father, husband, bible teacher, and follower of Christ. Faith Radio provides Psalm 1:2-3 …as we are ‘like a tree planted by steams of water’ when we listen, learn and meditate on His word and His teachings from the music and great programs heard daily on Faith Radio.”
Billy and his wife have taught 9th graders for over 12 years, and he has served in many areas of his church including the Building Committee, and as Deacon Chairman. He enjoys public speaking and has spoken to small and large audiences about how God is at work all around us.
Jeremy Smith was born in Athens, Al where he grew up and started his radio career at the age of 19 for a Top 40 station WZYP. He also worked for other stations affiliated with WZYP, including doing high school football play by play for sports station WUMP, and hosting a high school football highlight show for low power TV station WZTV. In 1998 he answered God’s call to use his talents in Christian radio, and joined WFIX in Florence, AL where he hosted the night show, as well as serving as the morning newsman, and did play by play for high school football. It was during his time at WFIX that he met his future wife Tiffany, and they married on May 17, 2003. Jeremy spent nearly 8 years at WFIX before he and Tiffany moved to Greenville, SC taking a position as Music Director and Afternoon Host for “The Walk,” a Christian station that was in Greenville. “The Walk” folded in 2006 and Jeremy spent the next few years working in Auto insurance until God opened the door for him to return to Christian radio and join the Faith Radio family. Jeremy now lives in Montgomery with his wife Tiffany and their daughter Ariana.
Wiely Boswell, Chief Engineer | email Wiely
Wiely Boswell serves as the Faith Radio engineer. He was born in Montgomery and has lived here most of his life. His children are fourth generation Montgomery natives!
Wiely attended and was in the first graduating class of Trinity Presbyterian School. He then graduated from the University of Alabama, having studied Electrical Engineering Technology, where he met his wife, Pamela. Wiely and Pamela have a daughter, Starr (wife of Stephen Parnell), and son, Sutherland.
The Boswells are members of Trinity Presbyterian Church, where Wiely serves as a deacon and the chair of the A/V technical committee. He is also the current chairman of the local chapter of the SBE (Society of Broadcast Engineers).
Donna Spears, Office Manger | email Donna
Donna was born in Levelland, Texas and lived in Levelland and Millsap Texas until she joined the U.S. Air Force in 1975. She met her husband Danny at Hulbert Field, FL and where they married in 1980. Their Air Force assignments took them to Florida, Texas, Alabama, Italy, England, Arkansas and back to Gunter in 1992. Donna’s military duties took her to many other world locations giving her a good understanding of other nations an their people. She retired from the Air Force July 1996 with 21 years of active duty. The Spears family made Montgomery their home to be close to family.
Donna and Danny have two daughters Carol and Jennifer. Their son Hugh died in 2005 of colon cancer. Hugh and Carol were Danny’s children by a previous marriage, but after going through the teen years with them Donna considers them fully hers.
After retiring from the Air Force Donna decided she wanted a total career change. She took a job with a local church as a receptionist/secretary for 4 years. She came to Faith Radio in 2000 to fill the receptionist position. In 2001 she became the Office Manager. Donna is responsible for managing all areas of donor donations as well as other administrative jobs.
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