Thomas was born and raised in Knoxville. He is a restaurateur and property developer in Knoxville’s Old City. Currently, he is serving on the boards of East Tennessee Foundation and The Old City Association. Philanthropy is important to him personally because he believes everyone deserves the opportunity for a successful and happy life.

A founding member of WDVX, Don literally put the station on the air both with his technical broadcast expertise and passion for community radio. He worked with WFMU in New Jersey and saw what a group of people could do and would have to go through to put a different kind of station on the air. This area was starving for an artistic and musical station, one that promoted the music, folklore, and arts of the Southern Appalachians. Since Don was a broadcast engineer working in public and commercial media, he could help actually put the station on the air, and after working on projects to do just that, joined the board in 1996.

Kathy Hamilton joined the board in 2017. Kathy is a retired CPA and serves on a number of non profit boards in Knoxville. She loves music of all types and is enjoying learning about everything that WDVX has to offer. She says that “the often discussed connection between music and mathematics” must have skipped her, but she is happy to take her place in the audience anytime live music is playing.

Rosa Mar has been on the board since 2011. She is passionate about respecting, learning about, and preserving the cultures of all peoples/countries/regions, which more often than not shows we have a lot in common especially when comes to music. Rosa is very proud that WDVX preserves and shares the Appalachian music culture with the world.

One of the first cool local things I found upon moving to Knoxville in 2000 was WDVX. Their commitment to local artists and live music are so unique and unlike anything I’ve seen in other communities. As a lover of music and arts, it was an honor and almost a duty to join the board at WDVX to ensure the music plays on.

Bill grew up in Norris listening to folk and mountain music. He now lives in Oak Ridge where he practices law. Bill joined the board in 2019.

James was born in Virginia, raised in East Tennessee, and has strong family roots in Kentucky. He currently resides in Ten Mile and recently retired from Oak Ridge National Laboratory after 29 years. James has a strong love of traditional and progressive bluegrass music; he’s been listening to artists like John Prine, James McMurtry, and Nanci Griffith before Americana music was even a genre. He has served on the WDVX Board since 2020 and volunteered in the station’s earliest fundraisers and worked the very first Camperfest in 1996.

When Bill used to travel to Knoxville to teach Public Affairs for the Air National Guard, the last thing he would do before turning in his rental car was make WDVX the first pre-set station on the radio, so every driver afterwards would hear “East Tennessee’s Own”! Since moving to Maryville to continue working for the Air Guard, Bill has served on the WDVX Community Advisory Committee and is now thrilled to continue serving through the Board of Directors.

I am a native of East Tennessee, born and raised in Knoxville and now living in rural Anderson County. I’ve been in the electrical contracting business in Knoxville for 48 years, enjoy the beautiful lakes, rivers and hills of East Tennessee and I love all types of music. I’ve been a listener and supporter of WDVX since the days at the Fox Inn Campground just a few minutes from my house. I’m honored to be a member of this board helping to promote the cultural heritage of the community that I have called home for many years.