Jeff Cruz

Assistant Program Director

Biography

Jeff was born in Chattanooga TN, the son of an army officer. He spent his early years moving from base to base, before his family settled down in Birmingham AL. It was there that he fell in love with music and wanted to be just like the local AM radio DJs that were there in the 70's. After a few years at Auburn University, he returned to Birmingham to pursue the dream he had held onto throughout his life. In 1986, Jeff started at the bottom of the totem pole as an intern for a top-40 station in Birmingham. He worked hard and quickly moved up onto the air-staff, doing anything they would give him, including many weekends and late night air shifts. For the next decade, he worked his way up at stations in Birmingham, Panama City, FL and Tallahassee, FL, before meeting and falling in love with his wife, Tina.

When they married in 1996, he thought he needed to "get a real job", so he worked for a bank while finishing his degree (in Elementary Education). Before long God made His plan clear that Jeff was not to be in banking, when a new Christian radio station approached him about being their debut morning host and music director. After an exciting few years, that station was eventually sold. Jeff worked in teaching for a while, before eventually going to work for the radio ratings company, Arbitron, where he learned about all the stations that were very successful in building large, loyal listening audiences. One of those stations was Z88.3 in Orlando. Having met Dean O'Neal and Scott Smith on a few occasions within the industry, he greatly respected what the Z team had done here in serving the Central Florida community.

In 2005, a new position was created at the Z for an Assistant Program Director, working with Dean O'Neal. This was just the opening he had been waiting for. It took over a year for the position to finally be filled, but once again Jeff felt God calling him, this time to bring his family to Orlando. Since July of 2006 they have been living in, and loving Central Florida. As "APD", he works with Dean and Scott on music research and planning programming for the Z throughout the year. He also does work on air for both Z88.3 and their Christian rock station on the HD radio dial, 88.3-HD3, THE ROCK (www.TheRockHD.com).

His wife Tina is a photographer and spends most of her time home-schooling their two young children, Eli and Naomi… when they are not in a park, playground, pool, museum, mall or theme park! They are thrilled at the opportunity to be a part of such a greatly respected, growing ministry that serves such a wonderfully diverse community in Central Florida. After over 20 years in radio, Jeff says he knows that God is still constantly teaching and leading him, not only to get better at his job, but as a person. He says he is blessed that the Z family has been so supportive of him and his family.