Welcome to the Pioneers in Health podcast. In this podcast, we share inspiring stories of pioneering leaders from our nation and from your backyard who are working to improve health.
In episode 26, we interview Mike Matson. He is a lifelong Kansan whose career has touched various aspects of communications: radio and TV news, press secretary to a governor, systems advocacy, newspaper columnist, deejay and podcast/radio talk show host.
He also has authored two books that center on alcoholism – one a family memoir of growing up in an alcoholic home and one about his own story of addiction.
Today, Mike is semi-retired but hosts a live daily radio talk show/podcast created to foster critical thinking and writes a column for his local newspaper, the Manhattan Mercury.
In this episode, he discusses his journey into broadcasting and his early career as a radio and news TV reporter. He went on to work as a political reporter, which led to a new chapter in his career in government and politics.
That experience and interest in politics ultimately led to a position working in politics himself. He decided to leave a successful career as a journalist to join Bill Graves’ gubernatorial campaign in the mid-90s.
“I was getting a steady paycheck every two weeks. I was doing a great job. I loved the work. And I was giving all that up for something as iffy as a political campaign,” he said. “It felt right at the time, and as it turned out, he did get elected.”
Graves became the 43rd governor of Kansas in 1994, and Mike became his communications director. He shares how seeing that government could serve as a force for good drew him to the public sector and what it was like working in politics at that time.
He also discusses:
- Working for the Kansas Farm Bureau and his communications efforts for the organization, especially in rural communities
- The changing demographics in rural Kansas, including communities becoming older and more culturally diverse
- His experience in advocacy
- His challenges with substance use
- The two books he’s authored, including a family memoir called “Spifflicated,” and a book called “Courtesy Boy” about his experience with addiction as an alcoholic
And much more! Listen now, and learn more about how Mike has been an innovative leader in Kansas.
Listen now
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