Ashley Krest
General ManagerAshley Krest has been deeply engaged in community radio since she first volunteered as a DJ in the early 2000s. From 2014 to 2016, she served in Member Services with the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB). In 2016, she joined the KVNF staff as the Engagement Coordinator for Events and Underwriting, and in 2020, she was appointed General Manager.
In her leadership role, Ashley successfully guided the station through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and has overseen consistent year-over-year growth in KVNF’s organizational budget for the past five years. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she continues to connect with listeners by hosting a show under her on-air name, DJ AKA.
With her family, Ashley resides in Paonia. She ran a cut flower farm and worked for other organizations and local businesses for years before coming to KVNF. Of her new position, she said, “You have to balance a lot of different constituents. My nature is to listen to all viewpoints and be inclusive, which makes me a good fit for this organization. In a time when so much of what is happening in society aims to divide, make us into skeptics and discourage engagement, public media has the opposite effect. I believe that people count on KVNF; we are the local voices, your friends and neighbors, and that is something you can lean into, something you can trust."
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Ashley Krest interviews Tarriona "Tank" Ball before her show at the Bluebird Theater in Denver. -
This episode of The Pen and The Sword features John Burg sharing an essay he wrote about an experience he had back in September of 2021, getting lost in Utah’s Zion National Park. He reads from the essay and speaks to the trauma of this event as well as the lessons learned. We follow this story with an interview with Sara Johnstone, a Volunteer with the West Elk Search and Rescue, an all-volunteer group covering a wide territory here in Western Colorado. -
Irish singer-songwriter Mick Flannery joins Ashley Krest on todays Talkin' Music. Tune in to hear Mick talk about his Grandfather, the effects of social media and his approach to writing a timeless song. This interview was recorded at the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, Colorado. -
KVNF's Ashley Krest and Kyshona have a conversation about self care and the awe of the western landscape, backstage at the Moab Folk Festival. -
KVNF's Ashley Krest interviews the band members of The Texmaniacs and Peter Rowan, backstage at the Moab Folks Festival.
