Manhattan Beach Loves 'Powell To The People' Radio Show

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — With 251 shows to his name, Manhattan Beach resident Wayne Powell is making quite a name for himself. Except that he already had — as a two-term Manhattan Beach City Council member and volunteer for all sorts or organizations.

But for nearly five years now, Powell has been airing his "Powell to the People" internet radio show on HealthyLife.net Mondays from 1-2 p.m. and just broadcast his 251st show last Monday. "I was asked by the radio network’s general manager/executive producer to do the show because she heard about my reputation as a longtime community volunteer who devoted countless hours giving back to our community," Powell told Manhattan Beach Patch, "and also as Manhattan Beach Mayor who recognized people and community organizations that did the same. That’s why the show was named 'Powell to the People.'”

For sure, Powell has a lengthy history of serving the community and his civic contributions are numerous. He is active with

• MB Fire Departmet Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) – Board of Directors/ Co-Founder
• Manhattan Beach Historical Society – Board of Directors Vice President
• City of MB Senior Citizen Advisory Committee – Board of Directors
• P.S. I Love You Foundation – Board of Directors
• L.A. County Assessor Advisory Council Member
• Beach Cities Health District – Finance Committee Member
• Leadership Manhattan Beach (Class of 2005) – Board of Directors
• Manhattan Beach Community Police Academy – Alumni/Volunteer
• Manhattan Beach Police Neighborhood Watch – Block Captain
• Manhattan Beach Concerts in the Park – Emcee/Volunteer
• Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair & 10K Run – Volunteer
• Catalina Island Conservancy – Certified Naturalist / Volunteer
• California & FEMA Certified Emergency Disaster Service Worker

And that's just the beginning of his past volunteer work, of which he is passionate. So, it's easy to see why Powell was the perfect guy to host a radio show about people. Who does he interview? "I’ve interviewed TV producers/directors/reporters, mayors/council members, a State Senator and Assemblymember, police chiefs, fire chiefs, NASA Space Shuttle Astronaut/author, distinguished Caltech/USGS seismologist, renown tenor (who has sung for five U.S. Presidents and sang on my show), Pulitzer Prize author, motivational speakers, standup comedian, various musicians/songwriters (who performed on my show), concert promoter, talent agent, shark attack survivor, movie/TV stuntman, UFC martial arts fighter, former L.A. Lakers coach, restauranteurs, pet groomer to celebrities, Stanford climate scientist, Harvard Professor, UCLA primate researcher, astronomer/astrophysicist, health and wellness coach, professional surfer/model, body painter/photographer, magazine publisher, various corporate and non-profit presidents/CEOs, winery owner/vintner, wealth advisor, and an ultralight pilot flight instructor (who had me fly the aircraft), to name just a few. You can visit my website WaynePowell.net to see a complete listing of past show guests and an archive of all my shows."

In early August and last week, Powell hosted Manhattan Beach Patch's Community Publisher [which is me, Liz Spear]. "The experience was really great," she said. "Wayne is fun to talk to and he keeps the conversation flowing. His questions are thoughtful. I enjoyed being on his show very much.

For his part, Powell knows so many people he could probably do a show forever. So, how does he select his interview subjects? "I like to reach out to people who have interesting stories from all walks of life," he said. "A number of people reach out to me. I welcome potential guests with fascinating and stimulating stories/experiences."

Replays of any "Powell to the People" show are available online. Past guests include Dennis Jarvis, Vera Jimenez, Craig Cadwallader, Peggy Curry, Dennis McNeil, Jeremy Buck, Russ Lesser, Kevin Sousa, Michael Zislis, Dency Nelson, Charlotte Lesser, Gary McAulay, Mark Leyman, Steve Napolitano, Allen Sanford, Julie Gonella, Kevin Sousa, Jim Cleamons, Mike Simms, Tom Bakaly, Al Muratsuchi, Mark Lipps, Peter Yollin, Barry Fisher, Ron and Greg Newman, Jack Tracy, David Lesser, Penny Bordokas, Kelly Stroman, Patricia Jones, April Wayland, Dave Salzman, Hilary Mahan, Nick Arquette, Cort Casady, Ben Allen, Morgan Sliff, Kate Bergin, Linda McLoughlin Figel, Heidi Scheid, Ben Dale, DeAnn Chase, Kathleen Terry, John Post, Carson Woods, Sylvia Gayed, Nancy Hersman, and others.