Liz Adams (Director of Programs) designs and manages education and client-based programs and projects, and enjoys discovering new ways to encourage and amplify youth voice.  She holds a degree in Music Performance from the University of Louisville (Louisville, KY) and conducted post-baccalaureate studies in Music and Arts Management at Carnegie Mellon University.

Liz is also familiar with tools used by musicians to create and capture sounds for the recording studio and live performance.

Jennifer Baron (Development Associate) joined SLB in 2009 and is responsible for underwriting, foundation and corporate relations, marketing and public relations. An accomplished writer, Jennifer also authors features and neighborhood guides for the weekly online magazine Pop City and is a co-author of Pittsburgh Signs Project: 250 Signs of Western Pennsylvania (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2009). Ms. Baron also writes for Western Pennsylvania History Magazine, a publication of the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center, and for Mt. Lebanon Magazine. From 2001-2006, Ms. Baron worked as Education Director at the Mattress Factory, where she developed, implemented and managed all aspects of the museum’s K-12, adult, youth, and family programming.

Larry Berger (Founder and Executive Director) manages day-to-day operations and serves as host of The Saturday Light Brigade.  Larry has been involved in public broadcasting since 1975 and holds degrees in engineering and public policy from Carnegie Mellon University and has 20 years of experience as a project engineer and manager for local industry.  He currently serves as the President of the Board of Trustees at Manchester Academic Charter School, on the Board of Directors of Manchester Youth Development Corporation, and on the Advisory Board at Pittsburgh International Children’s Theater. He also has served on the board of three other nonprofit organizations.

Rikki Berger (Executive Producer) is responsible for managing the hundreds of incoming calls that come into The Saturday Light Brigade radio program as well as for maintenance of project files, accounting and financial records and the SLB music library. She also serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors of SLB Radio Productions, Inc. Rikki holds degrees in geology, hydrogeology and nursing.

Nina Butler (Director of Innovative Collaborations) joined SLB most recently,  in 2011.  A seasoned professional educator and program director, Nina’s responsibilities include leading the continued successful expansion of proven SLB projects and programs as well as developing innovative partnerships devoted to amplifying the voices and ideas of children and families.  With her doctorate in Educational Administration & Policy Studies (University of Pittsburgh) and masters’ degrees in Special Education and in the Art of Teaching, Nina has almost thirty years of formal and informal educational experience.  Previous to SLB, she  was Educational Consultant to The AVI CHAI Foundation and directed the Day School Educational Leadership Think Tank in New York.   Nina was Principal of Hillel Academy in Squirrel Hill for 7 years, and has taught kids from pre-school through high school.

Justin Chechile (Technical Consultant) joined SLB in 2005. A degreed audio engineer, Justin is a Western Massachusetts native and graduate of Massachusetts Communications College. Prior to joining SLB, Justin worked in production at several major commercial television stations and recording studios. He also is an accomplished songwriter, guitarist and drummer.

Andy Collier (Technical Associate) joined SLB in 2012. A recent graduate of Ohio University, he holds a degree in Audio Production from OU’s School of Media Arts and Studies. Through his education, Andy focused his studies on a foundation of music, film, writing, media studies, and sociology. Andy wants to inspire children to develop a unique voice and encourages them to express that through multimedia. A Pittsburgh native, Andy loves working within his community, and consistently strives to promote equality in all facets of his work. He is a proficient percussionist with more than a decade of experience, continues to actively study music theory, and is an aspiring vocalist. When he’s not focused on creating or producing audio, Andy enjoys critiquing it, having served as the music critic for the Ohio University Post for two years.

Robert Gray (Technical Director) has worked with cutting edge audio software and hardware for 10-plus years with deep experience in Cubase 4.0, Reason 3.0, Protools 7.3 and Adobe Audition.  With  SLB since 2009, Rob has a strong working knowledge of microphones, mixing, special effects and the science of sound as well as an ability to enthusiastically convey this knowledge to children in workshops he has led.  Rob also presents music in public settings, including special events, and is a musician and turntablist.

Erika May (Staff Educator) - known on stage as EMay and in the classroom as Miss May – joined SLB in 2011 with a background in the performing arts. She graduated from the Fine Arts program at Carnegie Mellon University in 2005 before establishing herself as a songwriter, musician, choreographer and dance teacher. Her experience extends behind-the-scenes as an event director and producer; live and in-studio sound engineer; professional and creative writer; as well as business owner and community organizer. She is excited to be a new part of the SLB team, encouraging children to find, develop and share their own thoughtful and creative voices.