Eric Mansfield, WKYC-TV3

Eric Mansfield is the Akron/Canton news anchor for WKYC-TV3. He joined the station, which is Gannett’s NBC affiliate in Cleveland, as Akron/Canton reporter in May 1994.

Eric has won Cleveland Regional Emmy Awards in 2000 for Outstanding Service Reporting and in 1994 for Outstanding Live Reporting. In 2002, he was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Anchor. He also has received honors from the Cleveland Press Club, the Ohio Associated Press and the Ohio Broadcasters Hall of Fame.

An Akron native, Eric earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Dayton. In 1991, he was named the Omar Williams Award winner as the university’s top broadcasting graduate.

Eric began his broadcasting career doing play-by-play sports announcing in college and later anchored overnight news reports at WHIO-TV in Dayton. In 1992, he came home to Akron as an anchor-reporter with WAKC-TV.

A recently retired major in the Ohio National Guard, Eric spent 14 months beginning in 2003 on active duty in Iraq and Kuwait. He and his wife, Lisa, and their three sons live in the Akron area.

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Jody Miller, Bath Country Journal

Jody Miller loves the Greater Akron area, and her enthusiasm and excitement really come through when she’s talking. After more than 12 years with Leader Publications in a variety of editorial positions, Jody purchased Bath Country Journal in early 2005. BCJ is a 25-year-old community magazine that is dedicated to news and events of the Bath Township and Revere Local Schools communities. As the editor and publisher of BCJ, Jody still retains her interest in the community and the political events of the Summit County area.

Jody is a regular on Western Reserve PBS’ NewsNight Akron and NewsMaker Akron, and she has hosted a variety of locally produced special broadcasts. Her 2002 Western Reserve PBS documentary, Main Street America, was released for national broadcast. Most recently, Jody hosted an hour-long, locally produced~panel discussion titled Kids First: Grading the Graduates, which aired in conjunction with the national release of Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk.

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Ed Esposito, Rubber City Radio Group (WAKR/WONE/WQMX)

Ed Esposito has received a number of journalism awards for his work throughout his career. He is presently news director of Rubber City Radio Group in Akron and is also the news anchor on WQMX’s Country Club morning show. Prior radio broadcast experience includes stations throughout Cleveland, Cincinnati and West Virginia.

Ed is a graduate of Kent State University and lives in Sagamore Hills.

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Steve Hoffman, Akron Beacon Journal

Steve Hoffman was named an editorial writer for the Akron Beacon Journal in September 2001. He writes a weekly column of political analysis and contributes to the paper’s unsigned editorials and endorsements. Steve spent ten years as politics writer, covering national, state and local elections, including six national political conventions and statewide campaigns for president, the U.S. Senate and governor. He has been with the Beacon Journal for 25 years and held a variety of newsroom reporting and editing assignments and has won national, statewide and local news awards, including Ohio SPJ awards, Associated Press of Ohio awards and Akron Press Club awards. Steve has freelanced for the New York Times and Time, Newsweek and Business Week magazines. He is a guest lecturer on the media and politics at Kent State University and The University of Akron.

Steve is a graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. and has a master's degree in journalism from The University of Michigan. He came to Akron from the Boulder (Colo.) Daily Camera. He and his wife, Mary Jo, have three children and live in Copley Township.

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Joe Jastzremski, The Rubber City Radio Group (WAKR/WONE/WQMX)

Joe is a reporter with The Rubber City Radio Group (WAKR/WONE/WQMK). He has been in radio news since 1977, at stations in Willoughby, Cleveland and Akron. His work has garnered awards from the Ohio Associated Press, the Cleveland Press Club and the Greater Cleveland Radio TV Council for investigative reporting and coverage of court trials. Some of his beats have included the Indians, Browns and Cavs but, also City Hall, the School Board and the Courthouse. In Akron, some folks may recognize his as one of the public address voices of Canal Park during the Aeros baseball season. Joe lives in North Royalton.

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Larry States, The Rubber City Radio Group (WAKR/WONE/WQMX)

Larry States has been in radio news since 1972 and has worked at stations in both Akron and Canton. A graduate of The University of Akron with a degree in mass media communications, his radio career includes eight years at WHLO/Akron and the last 21 years at WAKR/Akron. He was news director at WAKR-AM for 13 years while also serving as news director and reporter for WAKR TV-23 from 1983 to 1987.

Larry has covered Presidents Jimmy Carter, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush in their northeast Ohio appearances. His career also includes time as a sports reporter and play-by-play announcer. One of his favorite memories from covering sports is his interview with Muhammed Ali before his heavyweight fight at the Coliseum.

Larry resides in Akron.

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