Our Team
Get to know Brian
Brian is a proud St. Cloud State University Alumni. It was his years at SCSU that cemented his desire to work in television production and provided him his first intoxicating opportunity to work in a live sports production. Brian was part of the student founders of Husky Productions, an all student run production covering the University's hockey team. It was during that time that Brian obtained his skills in lighting, camera, editing and content development. Brian's post-collegiate career began as a producer, director and EIC for high school sports at St. Paul Neighborhood Networks. After SPNN, Brian moved to the fast action of live television at Conus Communications as a Satellite Control Room Technician and then on to the Production and Satellite Services Division where he continued his work as a Satellite Uplink Operator. It was there that he gained extensive field and engineering experience working with clients such as ESPN, Showtime, Fox Sports, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and HBO. At Conus, Brian played a major role in rebuilding the Production and Satellite Services Division. When Conus Communications restructured in 2002, Brian joined with Todd and Shawn in forming ARCTEK Satellite Productions LLC.
In addition to ARCTEK, Brian is Executive Producer of Husky Productions at his alma mater, SCSU. The award-winning college sports production currently provides coverage of the university’s Division 1 men's hockey team as their flagship production. Brian enjoys introducing the students the excitement and challenges of live sports productions as well as challenging them to match the content and quality they will be expected to bring in their professional careers.
Brian is a native of Omaha but lived in multiple places during his childhood until Minnesota ultimately became home. He follows Huskers and Minnesota Vikings football. In the summer, Brian races mountain bikes in a local circuit. He enjoys motorcycling and paddle boarding as well as trips to Cozumel. He and his wife, JK, have been married for close to 30 years. It’s been said if you find the perfect job you will never have to work a day in your life. Brian found his in television production.
Get to know Nick
Nick has been a valued member of the ARCTEK team since November 2014. He graduated from St. Cloud State University (SCSU) with a degree in Mass Communications, focusing on radio and TV broadcasting, and a minor in Religious Studies. During his time at SCSU, Nick was heavily involved in media production, working as an audio engineer for the award-winning Husky Productions, a student-run broadcast covering SCSU men's hockey on UTVS. He also served as the Production Director at KVSC, the campus radio station, where he produced and engineered Monday Night Live (MNL)—a weekly program featuring live performances by local and national artists, simulcast on KVSC, UTVS, and online.
After college, Nick stepped into the role of Production Director for five radio stations at Tri-County Broadcasting and was also an on-air DJ for Rockin’ 101.7FM in Sauk Rapids, MN. His diverse career path has even included managing a local hardware store, becoming a certified CrossFit instructor, and working as a voice actor with Talent Poole in St. Paul.
In his free time, Nick dives into a wide range of hobbies—from going to the movies, golfing, and barbecuing to attending rock concerts, playing music and crafting the perfect old fashioned. He’s a true jack-of-all-trades with a passion for creativity and adventure—there’s not much Nick can’t do!
Get to know Mike
Mike joined the Army after high school and completed 3 years of active duty then 5 years inactive. After his military career he worked with Time Warner Cable for a time. Mike has admittedly always been fascinated with electronics and learning to make them work so it was a natural fit for him to make the move to the satellite transmission industry. Mike acquired over 8 years of experience as a Satellite Uplink Truck Engineer before joining ARCTEK. Mike is like the perfect mix of a strong work ethic, an easygoing nature and a “can do” attitude. Plus, he’s an avid sports fan and ARCTEK loves sports. He’ll tell you that hockey brings him the most joy, but he has knowledge about everything from competitive poker to horse racing. He may not be the loudest person in the room, but he’s got some great stories to share from all his travels so feel free to strike up a conversation.
Mike knows how to make the most of his free time both at home and on the road. He is a gamer, a golfer, a fisherman and a camper. He is also a huge Pearl Jam fan and has seen the band in concert an impressive number of times. He’s even got his sights on learning to play guitar and exploring the world of drone piloting.
Get to know Donn
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a degree in communications, Donn went to St. Cloud State University to gain practical experience in all aspects of broadcast television in the early years of UTVS. He then went on to have a 15-year career in television news, starting as a one-man band, and moving to various locations throughout the country as a reporter and anchor. He subsequently moved into careers in sales, digital marketing and healthcare before returning to work in live television at ARCTEK where he is combining his love for technology, television and sports. Donn definitely takes the trophy in the “Nice Guy” category. He’s always got a smile on his face and is eager to lend a helping hand when needed, personifying what we like to call “The ARCTEK Way”.
In his free time, Donn enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, biking and boating on the beautiful Minnesota lakes.
Get to know Chris
Chris began his television career as a part of the award-winning Husky Productions program and graduated from St. Cloud State University. He has a diverse production background having been at the Home Shopping Network and working at a regional news station before coming to ARCTEK as an Uplink Engineer. He's a roll with the punches kind of person which plays well with the fast past nature of working in live television.
On the personal side of things Chris is a big fan of our hometown Minnesota Vikings. He is also a legit sports fan in general. His knowledge of all things sports from stats to history is off the charts. Chris' passion doesn't stop with sports though as he is also a big movie buff.
Get to know Julie Kay (a.k.a JK)
JK’s earned her psychology degree at St. Cloud State University where she met Brian in the early 90’s. She realized very quickly that working in TV is a lifestyle not just a career. From the point of that realization she took every opportunity afforded to her to learn the lingo, understand the necessary commitment to be successful and become a knowledgeable outsider.
In 2010, she joined the ARCTEK team in a supportive admin position. She provided a sense of organization amidst the constantly moving parts of the ARCTEK machine. After Brian became the sole owner in the summer of 2016, JK made the decision to change her full time focus to ARCTEK after a 22 year career with Opal Services, a company that provides residential services to adults with intellectual disabilities and mental health challenges. Although her official title at ARCTEK is Ops Manager with a fair amount of duties being categorized as “back office”, she has mastered the art of scheduling and logistics, has taken ownership of washing/up-keep/cleaning the trucks as well as being the primary overnight driver. JK believes that success requires hard work and she’s no stranger to putting in long hours to be sure even the little things get attention.
In her free time JK is a diehard Minnesota Vikings fan. She loves playing fantasy football, paddle boarding, listening to and growing her vinyl record collection, searching for the world's best pizza, traveling (especially to Cozumel) and spending time with family.
