Communiqué
WOUB Member Spotlight: Bob Montgomery
< < Back toMontgomery has been a WOUB member since 1984
ATHENS, OH – With his hair pulled back in a ponytail and sporting a lime green Hawaiian shirt with bright red and yellow parrots, Bob Montgomery is a self-described hippie who came to southeastern Ohio in 1971 to attend Ohio University and never looked back.
“I grew up in Cleveland,” said Montgomery. “And I originally came to Athens as a music major. But, a few years in, I knew I didn’t want to be a high school band director. I felt called to do something in the helping profession. So, I switched gears and ended up pursing a master’s degree in community counseling.”
Montgomery started listening to WOUB radio when he was in college and really enjoyed the quality of the programming.
“I had a job in the old Baker Center. I worked in a rental shop in the basement, renting bikes and camping equipment and maintaining that stuff. I listened to WOUB while working. As far as television goes, at the time, WOUB TV was really the only television we could get in Athens. So, I watched the educational programming even when that’s not exactly what I was looking for,” said Montgomery laughing.
Montgomery now lives in Morgan County and is the chief clinical officer for Allwell Behavioral Health Services. Allwell is a private, not-for-profit provider of comprehensive community mental health services in Coshocton, Guernsey, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble and Perry counties.
“I oversee the outpatient counseling services,” said Montgomery. “I am passionate about making sure that people who have limited means also have access to quality services. Just because you are poor doesn’t mean you should have second rate mental health care. I’ve had opportunities to go into private practice but being poor sucks in this country and people need to have the opportunity to have quality care.”
Now, as Montgomery travels through the six-county region Allwell serves, he listens to WOUB.
“I’m on the road a lot and love listening to WOUB and NPR when I’m in the car,” said Montgomery. “I like Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Those programs help me stay up on the news. I also sometimes listen to The Thistle and Shamrock and Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! on the weekends. On television, I enjoy Antiques Roadshow, NOVA, Nature and Independent Lens. I really like the Ken Burns documentaries as well.”
Montgomery has many hobbies. He still enjoys music and is normally a season ticket holder to the Performing Arts and Concert Series at Ohio University. Montgomery also likes the outdoors and enjoys fishing, hunting, kayaking, hiking, camping and gardening. He says that he learns so much about all of things he enjoys when he listens to WOUB.
“Sometimes while I’m driving, I listen to Science Friday, and there are times that I hear something and I’m like ‘Wow!,’” said Montgomery. “WOUB provides a valuable service to this region and personally helps keep me connected to deep thought around current events.”