Get to Know: Kelly Blackwell

Kelly's Testimony

I have always believed in God. When I was 4 years old, my family was at a tent meeting, and I remember they asked if anyone wanted to come up and ask Jesus into their heart. I remember desperately wanting that, so I rushed up before anyone could stop me. I was prayed with, and that was the start. I'd like to say that I have always lived a faith-filled life, but truthfully it wasn't always the case. Praise God for His forgiveness and grace! 

I would say my faith and relationship with God really deepened in my single mom days. I had a lot of opportunities to see God work in my life and my son's life. God made the impossible possible.

How did you get into radio?

Christian radio has been a big part of my life for years; my carpool mom used to play it when she drove us to school, but I honestly never thought I would actually work in the field. Still, when my husband Scott and I got married in 2007, my son and I joined him in Arizona. It was while job hunting that I found KGCB on my radio dial. I remember even saying to God how much I would love working at a Christian radio station. Two days later, I saw that the very station was hiring a receptionist. I threw my hat into the ring. When I walked in, I knew how to answer phones and little else. I was always willing to learn and eventually added managing the web calendar, the website, blogging, coordinating volunteers, doing voice work, creating graphics for our social media, and writing copy. I had my own blog where I shared thrifty tips, and my station manager invited me to join the morning show on Thursdays for a segment called Kelly's Thrifty tips. I also started being the action room on-air host during gift drives. I was pretty much the hype girl for our volunteers and would share updates on how things were going on that side of the drive. So much fun! There was always lots of dancing, stretching, exercising and laughing. More and more on-air opportunities came from mid-days to weekends. I am so grateful.

What is your favorite Bible verse?

Deuteronomy 31:8 "The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged."

What's your favorite childhood memory?

From about age 6 to 14, I grew up in a horse town. Literally, the town had dirt sidewalks so people could ride their horses. We were able to take our horses even to the McDonalds because they had a place to tie them and a water and hay trough. This town also had lots of fruit trees, so a kid could snack anywhere on pomegranates, plums, oranges, and figs. There was also a cliff and river bottom we would ride down to and catch crayfish. I was kind of a tomboy. It was a sweet place literally to grow up. We even had a big rodeo and fair each year. There is a Christian music festival Spirit West Coast that has been going on there for the past few years, which is just way cool! I'd love to go back and check it out. 

What's your favorite food and why?

Tacos and deep-fried burritos are my all-time fave! Oh, wait, I love enchiladas too! I grew up in Southern California, and they were often on the menu at home. I remember cooking tacos was a big all-family event in our house. We would cook the corn tortillas in hot oil, bend them, put toothpicks in them to keep them bent, and finish them up in the oven to make them all crisp and crunchy. The deep friend burritos were a must when we went to the beach, and we had to make them at home.

What's your favorite hobby and why?

I love writing. I wrote stories before I knew words. I would draw pictures and share the stories with my parents. My dad would bring me spare notebooks from work, and I would fill them all with stories. I don't write as much as I used to, which I really miss, but I try to put a blog up here and there on my Promise FM DJ Blog. You know what I want to do, though? I want to learn to crochet!