News Team

Johannes Werner is a journalist who has pursued a wide range of beats, from Berlin, Mexico City, Detroit, and Miami. During the last two decades, his career took him to cover the unknown island just south of Florida, from his home base in Sarasota. All that changed a few weeks ago: WSLR brought him home professionally this February, to coordinate a growing news team that covers the economic and environmental dysfunction, political extremism, and the grassroots movements that are springing up in response. Johannes knows the ins and outs of this place, and he actually loves it. He has spent half of his life in Sarasota with his wife Sarah; their child was born at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. He also happens to be a founding member of WSLR, and hosted a public affairs show on 96.5 FM from 2005 to 2015.

Bernadette Estrada-Brown is a third-year transfer student at New College of Florida. Born and raised in New York City, she joined the military at 16 to escape the inner city life in the South Bronx. Her lifelong dream was to become a journalist, but she put it on hold to focus on being a mother and wife. Now, 31 years later, she has two grandchildren and is finally pursuing her degree and working in journalism.

Aria Lockman is a second-year student at New College of Florida who is interested in pursuing journalism. Previously a WSLR Communications intern, she is now exploring radio news broadcast. She is a current staff writer for New College’s student-run newspaper, The Catalyst, and she has a background in communications and marketing. She enjoys writing about current events and pursuing ‘challenging’ stories. As an aspiring journalist, Aria will transfer to the University of South Florida to pursue a degree in Digital Communication and Multimedia Journalism.

Ryan Stanley, a 30-year resident of Sarasota, is a New College of Florida graduate, wife, and mom. Over the last ten years, she has sewn together a patchwork quilt of paid and unpaid work with a dozen different non-profit organizations including Girl Scouts of the Gulf Coast, The Healthy Start Coalition of Sarasota County, and WSLR Community Radio+Fogartyville. Ryan also enjoys cooking, traveling, and the company of fierce women.

Ramon Lopez has 45-plus years experience as an aviation, aerospace and defense journalist, editor and manager for daily, weekly, monthly and bimonthly international publications.

He was a regular contributor to Jane’s Airport Review and Unmanned Systems magazine. He edited the Precision Strike Digest. He previously served as editor-in-chief of Air Safety Week, editor-in-chief of Unmanned Systems and Washington Correspondent for Jane’s Defence Weekly, Flight International and International Defense Review.

He has worked in both radio and television news, in Washington, DC and now in Sarasota, FL. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communications from the University of Maryland with a minor in Journalism.

Nef teaches high school US History, American Government and Economics in Bradenton half of the day, and runs kids tennis programs here in Sarasota the other half of the day.

Nef earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at The University of Southern Mississippi, where she played tennis on scholarship on the Division 1 Singles and Doubles teams. She then attended graduate school at Wagner College on Staten Island, NY and earned a Master’s degree in Education. At the same time, was Interim Head Tennis Coach for both Division 1 Women’s and Men’s teams.

After graduation, she worked as an Education Director for the National Urban league, and was contracted with schools to teach in schools in Harlem, Brooklyn and Staten Island. Nef then worked as a Site Director for Advantage Tennis in NYC, where she implemented curriculum and created tennis programs out of the Avenues Global School and The United Nations School. She was also the Assistant Director of Summer Camps at New York Tennis Club in partnership with Maritime College in the Bronx.

Her goals are to connect her life experiences with other academics and writers, philanthropists and activists as she strives to become a Higher Self.

Bernadette is a member of the news team. After participating in the 2021 Black History Month listen-in, she decided to become a part of WSLR. She deeply enjoys the process of curating news stories and believes it has contributed to her staying informed about local and statewide issues. Bernadette is a local high school student who hopes to take her newfound appreciation for news broadcasting with her to college.