Benztown has announced a pair of additions and a promotion to its office staff.
Hannah Schoettmer, a recent graduate of the University of Southern California (USC), joins Benztown as Accounting/Office Coordinator and is based in Benztown’s Los Angeles studios. Schoettmer’s introduction to radio was with RadioActive Youth Media at Seattle’s largest NPR member station KUOW-FM. She also studied film sound as a student at USC, where she graduated with a B.A. in Cinema and Media Studies. Schoettmer brings skills as an accomplished writer and filmmaker to Benztown. Her written work has appeared in outlets including The Louisville Review, The Indianapolis Review, Glass: A Journal of Poetry, SOFTBLOW, and The Seventh Wave. She has received awards and fellowship support for both writing and film from organizations including Brooklyn Poets, Alabama Rivers Alliance, and the Seattle Opera, and is the author of Body Panopticon (Bottlecap Press), released in 2022.
New to Benztown’s creative audio production team is Megan Vazquez, who joins the company as Long Form Programming Coordinator and Producer. Megan’s audio journey began at Oregon State University (OSU), where she studied Digital Communication Arts and Music Production. She held several positions at OSU’s radio station KBVR Corvallis 88.7 FM, including Station Manager, Assistant Station Manager, and Podcast Director. While at KBVR Corvallis 88.7 FM, Megan also hosted a weekly radio music talk show “Megzmania”, and hosted and produced the podcast “Hair, There, and Back,” covering a variety of cosmetology topics.
Benztown also announces that it has promoted Estefania Padilla to Affiliate Relations and Music Licensing Representative for Benztown’s portfolio of programming services, content offerings, and libraries. Padilla, who has been Executive Assistant for Benztown since 2022, holds a degree in Communication & Media Studies from Cal State Northridge, where she also minored in Psychology. She is also a bilingual singer/songwriter and has written music for television and film. After hours you can find her recording and performing her own Latin music and curating showcases throughout the Los Angeles area.
Benztown President Dave ‘Chachi’ Denes commented, “Benztown continues to grow, as we focus on attracting up-and-coming talent and the industry’s most creative and skilled audio professionals. Hannah and Megan are strong additions to our world class team, and we welcome them and look forward to their contributions. Likewise, Estefania brings a unique and valued skillset to affiliate relations and music licensing, and we congratulate her on this promotion. It is a thrill to reinforce our amazing team with the very best people who share our dedication to serving Benztown customers with true innovation and excellence.”
