Sue Matters
Station Manager

Originally from the East Coast – Sue found her way to Warm Springs in 1985, when the Tribes were building 2 new radio stations.  In early 1986 – KWSI, a commercial station, went on the air.  In September that year – KWSO began broadcasting as the public radio station of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

She spent time working in Early Childhood Education for 12 years but returned to radio in 2003 to pursue her passion.  She says “the best days are when all the staff are focused on projects, hitting deadlines, and doing good quality work.  I love when the media center is buzzing with activity including folks coming in for interviews, dropping off information., and offering feedback.”

When Sue’s not at work she is on “Kuthla G” duty with her two grandsons, working on assorted projects at home, or playing Animal Crossing.

Neal Morningowl
Operations Manager

Neal Morningowl began work at KWSO as a summer intern while in high school.  For many years he shifted his focus to Emergency Management work but returned to the airwaves on a permanent basis, learning all aspects of broadcasting to become KWSO’s Operations Manager.

Neal especially enjoys Talking Drum and keeping folks company during his air shift.

Outside of work he is a drummer, singer and dancer and enjoys time on the Powwow Trail.  Neal was born and raised in Warm Springs and has significant cultural knowledge and Native Language ability.  He also works with youth, when called upon, teaching drumming and singing.

Liz Smith
Multimedia Journalist

Liz Smith says she “loves the continuous learning that comes with our work, empowering others with information that is useful and valuable to individuals and families and doing work that always keeps the Warm Springs Community as our focus.”

“KWSO serves the community by providing spaces for information, opportunities for the community to display their creativity, interactive platforms for sharing and a commitment to be a part of improved health, positive messages and accurate stories of history, culture and current events.  We care very much about providing information that makes this community stronger.”

In addition to her work as a Multimedia Journalist at KWSO, Liz loves:

• to find new nature trails with her doggy
• road trips
• live sports events and
• outdoor concerts

Will Robbins
Multimedia Journalist

Will hails from Northern California where he spent time in both San Francisco and Sacramento. After graduating from National Broadcasting School in 1988 he set out on journey to find his place on the radio waves. Eventually he found his way to KWSO in 1999 and stayed until 2015.

After a short break away from radio Wilman returned to the airwaves with KWSO in the spring of 2023.

Will’s energy, enthusiasm and passion for radio is often unmatched and there is no place he would rather be. He says “Central Oregon feels like home. We live in a place where we can connect with nature and feel at peace”  In his spare time Will is an avid golfer, loves to fish, play guitar and attend live events like sports, concerts and theatre.

Samiakin Allen
Multimedia Journalist

Samiakin Allen joined KWSO as a student intern back in 2022 once he finished his English/Literature degree at Central Oregon Community College. He had initially gone through college as a Psychology major, but later pursued his passion of writing towards the latter half of his educational career.

At KWSO, he runs about the Warm Springs Reservation to collect stories, comments, and all things informational for future programs as a Multimedia Journalist. Back in 2023, he took the opportunity to immerse himself into the Paddle to Muckleshoot Journey with the N’chiwanapum Canoe Family.

When he’s off work, Samiakin enjoys all things literature and creative-fiction based. His top favorite fantasy novels to read are as follows:

• Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

• Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

• The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien

Kiandra Smith
Multimedia Journalist

As a member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Kiandra is one of our newest multimedia journalists at KWSO. Kiandra started working at KWSO as an intern in August of 2023. With a background in graphic design, visual arts, and digital marketing, Kiandra became the manager for the KWSO socials. They attended Central Oregon Community College, with a main focus on anthropology.

In her free time, Kiandra loves to travel the world. She has been to Japan, Canada, Spain and Italy. In 2022 she lived in Barcelona as a student at the Barcelona Study Abroad Experience, where she learned about music, language, and culture.