Don Priest
Founding Board Member and Chair
Don Priest is a professor emeritus from the Department of Media Communication & Journalism at Fresno State, where he taught audio/video production and photojournalism for 25 years and helped his students win numerous production awards. In 2005 Don was named the outstanding media professor in the CSU system, and in 2024 he was inducted to the MCJ Department Hall of Fame.
Don also devoted a good portion of his career to the campus radio station, 90.7 KFSR, serving in every prominent role from on-air host to Blues Music Director to General Manager. It was under his leadership that the station made the successful transition from a campus only station to a 24×7, community-supported, non-profit organization offering an eclectic range of music programing.
In addition, Don was a key player in the creation of CMAC (Community Media Access Collaborative), the non-profit organization that provides media training and production equipment to community members seeking to tell their own stories.
Since his retirement in 2011, Don has resumed his life-long passion for playing music. He is currently the percussionist in the Irish band, Celtic Alchemy and drummer with The Top Dollar Dudes, a county band that plays a weekly volunteer dance gig at a local Senior Center. Don is also an accomplished writer photographer whose work has appeared in both local and national publications.
Ray Settle
Founding Board Member and Treasurer
A lifelong Central Valley native, Ray Settle has dedicated more than three decades to serving the region’s music and entertainment community. As an audio engineer, producer, and live production professional, he has worked with both local artists and nationally touring performers, contributing to thousands of concerts, recordings, broadcasts, and special events.
Ray’s career has taken him from recording studios and intimate music venues to theaters, concert halls, ballparks, festivals, and major live productions throughout the Valley, including serving as the head audio engineer for the Fresno Grizzlies during the first eight seasons at Chukchansi Park. Respected for his technical expertise, professionalism, and collaborative approach, he has earned the trust of musicians, producers, promoters, and arts organizations throughout Central California.
As Operations Manager at Maximus Media Inc., Ray has played a key role in delivering full-service production services ranging from recording and post-production to commercial media, forensic audio and video, and live event production. His commitment to quality and service has helped establish Maximus as one of the Central Valley’s most respected production companies.
A founding member of the Valley Music Hall of Fame, Ray is proud to work alongside fellow board members in preserving and celebrating the rich musical heritage of California’s Central Valley.
Debi Ruud
Founding Board Member and Secretary
Debi Ruud earned her degree in music from Fresno State in 1998. Not only has Debi been teaching privately for 25 years, she has also been singing professionally in Top 40 rock, jazz and R&B bands, numerous churches, recording projects, jingles, commercials and special events in the Central Valley for over 35 years.
Debi has been involved with Good Company Players and several other theater companies in Fresno. She has recorded four albums and is getting ready to release her fifth. She is known for her five-year run as one of the Valley’s American Idol “vocal coaches” on FOX 26.
Now serving two locations, Debi is the founder and owner of the Valley’s largest privately owned music school of its kind, Fresno Music Academy & Arts. She also is the founder and director of Fresno’s only rock-n-roll choir, Hearts on Fire, which has had over 50 members celebrating the joy of music since 2013!
Debi has many other creative endeavors, including a weekly podcast called “Dancing with Skeletons” with her partner in crime Liz Stoeckel, writing a book, practicing yoga, running, and even a little tap dancing. She is also an active member of the Cultural Arts Rotary Club.
Fred Martinez
Board Member
The retired fire fighter with a burning passion for music, Fred has been involved in the local music scene since the 1980s when he performed with various bands such as 5150 and The Vibra Champs in classic local venues like The Wild Blue Yonder, The Star Palace and The Olympic Tavern.
After a brief stint in managing, Fred decided to take the plunge and open his own music venue. Club Fred opened in the Olympic Tavern location on December 25, 1989 and was a successful music venue that prided itself in hosting an eclectic mix of talent ranging from blues, reggae, folk, ethnic, rock, punk, psychobilly, and more. Some of the favorite touring artists who played at Club Fred include The English Beat, The Specials, Leon Russell, Tab Benoit, Eartha Kitt, CAKE, and Let’s Go Bowling.
John Alden
Board Member
John Alden has been a resident of Fresno for most of his life; he has worked as a professional photographer and graphic artist for 40 years. He has been a member of several local boards, including Fresno Filmworks, and is a member of several creative groups. Along with Don Priest, Mike Workman, and Don Weaver, John wrote and performed in Flower Tome Companion, a Rogue Festival favorite for several years.
Today John shares managing Fresno Music Academy & Arts with his wife Debi Ruud; they opened the gallery Arts Annex Fresno located in the Tower District, and John oversees the growth and outreach to the community. He is also a musician and a visual artist, focusing primarily in oil painting.
Elizabeth Stoeckel
Board Member
Elizabeth Stoeckel has lived in the Fresno/Clovis area for most of her life. She is a theatre performer, director, and teacher. She’s performed in shows for several theatre companies in the Valley, including Good Company Players, Theatre J’Nerique, and CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre.
Some of her favorite roles include M’Lynn (Steel Magnolias, CenterStage), and several with Good Company Players: Truvy (Steel Magnolias), Margot (Dial M For Murder), Chris Gorman (Rumors), Mrs. Parker (A Christmas Story), Mother (Best Christmas Pageant Ever), and Ruth Condomine (Blithe Spirit).
Elizabeth has also directed productions at GCP and Children’s Musical Theaterworks, and the Junior Company (GCP). She works with kids with special needs, and teaches Drama in public schools around the Valley. The most important roles for Elizabeth are “Mom” to her kids, “Wife” to husband Tom, and “Nonna” to the lights of her life, her three grandchildren.
David Goudelock
Board Member
David Goudelock was born and raised in Northern Colorado, and attended college at the University of Northern Colorado, earning a degree in Parks and Recreation, Physical Education and a minor in Deaf Education.
Dave worked in Parks and Recreation for six years, but a lifelong fascination with aviation became his calling and he made a career change to became a pilot. After many years of schooling and flight instruction, he became first a corporate pilot, then an airline pilot with United Airlines. This career lasted 30 years. Now semi-retired, he still flies corporate jets for a local Fresno company.
Dave has been involved in music since he was a young boy. He started playing guitar at 12 and was in numerous bands through high school and college. After moving to Clovis he became involved with the Fresno music scene and started playing with many local musicians. He also plays occasional acoustic gigs with his wife Elaine as a duet. In addition to Board membership with Valley Music Hall of Fame, Dave is also a member of Hearts on Fire Rock & Roll Choir.
Kate McKnight
Board Member
Kate McKnight is a local performing artist and educator. Her first love was the piano, and she took lessons for almost 12 years. She has been acting since her teen years, having caught the theatre bug in junior high.
Kate got a very useful degree in Acting from UC Santa Cruz, and later went to Fresno State to earn her teaching credential after heeding her other calling. She returned again to Fresno State for a Master of Arts in Education. She taught English and Drama at Roosevelt School of the Arts, Central High School, and eventually worked in arts administration at Roosevelt and as the music and arts coordinator in Fresno Unified School District.
Kate has directed high school and community theatre for over 30 years; she has written, acted in and directed numerous productions for Fresno’s Rogue Festival since 2008. Her favorite acting roles include Baruska (Once, CenterStage), Mama (I Remember Mama, Good Company Players), and Lady Macbeth (Macbeth, Woodward Shakespeare).
Kate is semi-retired after finishing her public education career teaching Drama at University High; she is a part-time lecturer in the Theatre Arts & Dance Dept. at Fresno State. Kate sings in Hearts on Fire, Fresno’s only rock ‘n roll choir, and loves playing her small chromatic piano key accordion.
