about your HOSTS

“Shug [Sugar], you don’t always have to tell everything you know.”

That’s what Mary Nelson’s mom advised her talkative daughter when she was just a little girl – after sharing too much with the school cooks in the lunch line.  It’s a lesson she still hasn’t learned.  But her mom, Ruth, did get across to Mary other life essentials: How to bargain shop, cook and sew, and always emphasized the importance of treating others well and giving back.

“I’ve long wished I could be a full-time volunteer, but the need to earn a living always got in the way,” Mary says.

Mary comes from a family of teachers and writers, many of whom entered her into essay and speech contests – then told her about it later.  She started speaking through her area 4-H club, and eventually used scholarships earned through those contests to help pay her way through college.

Mary attended Eastern Kentucky University.  Her first focus was engineering, but that interfered with Mary’s dream of living check-to-check.  So after her first year, Mary shifted her academic focus to broadcasting and political science.  She landed her first on-air job when she 19 years old – hosting a call-in radio show, Trading Post.  Before long, she was in front of a television camera covering news and sports.  She left Kentucky for Tennessee then Washington D.C., then West Virginia – and then to Omaha, Nebraska.

Most of Mary’s years on-air were spent in television news, as a reporter at WSAZ-TV and KMTV-TV.  Most recently, she co-hosted mornings on KKCD-FM.

“ I’ve always enjoyed having the opportunity to share my opinion and life, and with The Morning Blend, I also get to share what’s great about our community.  There’s nothing better!”
Mary was born and raised in Greenup, Kentucky (Population: Not Many).  She has lived in Omaha for several years with her husband, Troy, and their dog, Action.  Away from The Morning Blend, Mary has a habit of diving into home improvement and art projects, and relaxing with friends and family.

When Mary talks about The Morning Blend, most people say, “You’re really excited about your job.”

And that’s absolutely true!  Mary looks forward to going to work, and enjoys flexing her creative muscle (she acknowledges that’s one of her few muscles left to flex) with each new show.

If you have a suggestion for a business, group or event you think she should showcase on The Morning Blend, Mary would love to hear from you.  And if you see her at the grocery store, feel free to introduce yourself and say, “Hello!”. 

Mike’s very first on air performance came at the ripe old age of 12, when he wrote, produced and starred in a his very own Easter family video.  And after that, the home videos kept coming. They eventually helped lead him to a rewarding career in broadcasting in his home state of Nebraska.
 
“While I can credit some of those first home videos to my years on TV, I hope they never appear on a television ever again”, Mike says with a smile.
 
Long before he hit the record button, Mike was refining his other craft, music. He’s a third generation trumpet player and former member of the Cornhusker Marching band. Mike is still involved in the music scene as a founding member of the local band, GroovePuppet.
 
A graduate of Omaha Central high school, Mike studied broadcasting at The University of Nebraska/Lincoln. His news career began in Lincoln at KOLN/KGIN as a member of the sports team. In 1999, Mike shifted gears and began covering local news as a general assignment reporter. He eventually ended up at KETV, where he was assigned to the Lincoln Bureau.
 
“I spent over 10 years working news in Omaha, Lincoln and throughout Nebraska. I’ve built many great relationships with the people of my home state, and can’t wait to meet many more on The Morning Blend! And we are going to have a lot of FUN!”
 
Mike lives in Omaha with his wife Erin, step-daughter Sayler and son Greyson who the DiGiacomos welcomed in May.  He enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking Italian food and listening to live music.  Mike is also co-owner of a local credit card processing company.