Nevada City Community-owned variety “Music of the World, Voice of the Community” KVMR Sacramento, CA (89.5), has appointed Luis Estrada its new General Manager, effective March 2, 2026.
As GM, Estrada will focus on strengthening the station’s long-term sustainability, supporting staff and volunteers, expanding community engagement and advancing its mission to inform, inspire and connect Nevada County, CA, through diverse, locally produced programming.
Estrada joins the community radio station from KPBS, which serves San Diego and Imperial Valley. He spent more than 11 years there leading membership, fundraising and on-air campaigns across PBS, NPR and other public media providers.
Estrada brings to the job more than two decades of experience in mission-driven media, community engagement and nonprofit development. Members of the station’s Board of Directors cited his background in public media, fundraising leadership and collaborative management as key factors in his selection.
“Luis brings a deep commitment to public media, a collaborative leadership style, and a genuine respect for the role community radio plays in connecting people,” Frank Williford, President of the KVMR Board of Directors, says in the release. “We’re excited to work together to strengthen KVMR and our relationship with the Nevada County community and beyond.”
At KPBS, Estrada served as on-air fundraising manager and senior producer, overseeing strategy, creative direction and production of membership campaigns across TV, radio and digital platforms. He also managed gift fulfillment, volunteer coordination and special programming. Most recently, he held the title of member acquisition manager and senior producer, focusing on broadcast and digital strategies aimed at growing membership and sustaining revenue.
In addition to his public media work, Estrada is Managing Partner and Executive Producer of ES Creative Gang, a bilingual creative production company he founded more than 20 years ago. His projects have included Emmy-nominated broadcast campaigns, feature films and international media initiatives.
“KVMR represents the very best of what community radio can be — local, independent, creative, and deeply rooted in service,” Estrada says. “I’m humbled and excited to join the KVMR team and look forward to partnering with the community in service of the mission.”
Founded in 1978, KVMR has grown into a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week station staffed by more than 200 broadcasters across KVMR and its expansion station, KVMRx. The nonprofit organization operates as a 501(c)(3) and describes itself as a station “by the community and for the community.”