OUR LEADERSHIP

Born in Birmingham Alabama, Gary Richardson is married to the former Willamena

Rambo and is the father of three sons and three daughters. Gary is a 1976 graduate of

Jackson-Olin High School in Birmingham, Alabama.

Gary is the oldest of four children and while attending Jackson-Olin took an active

interest in radio, particularly in electronics. Gary obtained his first radio job in radio in

1977 at WZZK/WJLD.

In 1987, Gary formed Richardson Broadcasting Corporation and bought his first radio

station WJLD AM 1400 later WAYE-AM 1220 in Birmingham and WIXI AM 1360 in Jasper,

AL. Richardson Broadcasting now owns and operates two radio stations and one low-

power television station and two FM translators. A 43-year broadcast veteran, Gary has

held every position in radio on and off the air, including Chief Engineer (an SBE Certified

Professional Broadcast Engineer) – drawing on his strong background in electronics – and

General Manager – utilizing his leadership and developing business skills. Since 1989,

Gary has been hosting a daily morning talk program – “The Gary Richardson Morning Show” – and for the past 33 years as a

broadcast owner, he has defied all odds in a mega-corporate market, navigating his stations into what has become a powerful

influence for progressive development in the Birmingham metropolitan area. Gary has been a pioneer and visionary in

broadcasting. Here is a few of his many accomplishments:

1985 – First to broadcast an FM signal over Cable TV

1987 – At age 30, became one of America’s youngest radio station owners

1989 – One of the first to convert to AM Stereo in Alabama

2003 – “Broadcast Digital Pioneer Award” by Ibiquity Digital Corporation as being the first radio station in the State of

Alabama to convert to HD.

2008 – Became the first AM broadcaster in the State of Alabama and fifth in the nation to receive an FCC waiver to originate

programming on an FM translator.

The humility and grace of Vanessa Williams-Nash cover her presence with an unassuming

posture of her global influence as the founding Chief Executive Officer of The Conference of

Black Mayors (CBM). With CBM regional headquarters in Haiti, Nigeria, Jamaica, and the

Republic of Colombia, her vision to connect the African Diaspora through the Office of the

Mayor has established a broad and vibrant international reach of more than 32,000. Mayors of

African lineage across the globe, which includes the 600 African American mayors in the

United States, resulting in influential partnerships between mayoral associations, presidents,

and heads of state throughout Africa, Europe, South America, the Caribbean, and China.

Through her visionary leadership, CBM has positioned itself as a leader in the redevelopment

and sustainability of the world's most vulnerable communities. Whether CBM member mayors

represent populations of 2,000, 2 million, or 20 million people, through her efforts, mayors have

become empowered beacons of light and ambassadors of hope for municipalities with vulnerable populations, developing

economies, and embattled infrastructures. With limited resources, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, Ms. Williams secured

more than $125 million in New Market Tax Credits from a major banking institution to assist with the redevelopment and

restoration of the impacted Gulf Coast communities.