Joel Burke with his buddy Dierks the Dog ride shotgun with you weekday afternoons from 3-7PM. A Texas native, he attended high school in a small town near Lubbock, but claims he was a horrible student and did just enough to “get by.” There he was voted “Most Athletic,” excelling in basketball and was a five-time district champion in track. Joel has two kids; his daughter Jamie is 21 and son Joshua is 19. He’s been in the radio industry for 32 years and comes to Austin from Denver.  Being a singer himself he loves all music, but his favorite Texas Country artist is Pat Green and the top played song on his ipod is Dierks Bentley’s “Lots of Leavin Left to Do.”

Joel enjoys sports, his favorite show being ESPN’s SportsCenter, and his favorite college teams are UT Longhorns football and Duke basketball. The person he admires the most is basketball Coach John Wooden. In fact, his favorite quotes come from Coach Wooden: “Failure to prepare is preparing for failure,” and “Why do we dread adversity when it’s through adversity that we become stronger?”

Passionate about animal-oriented causes, he is excited to work with Austin Pets Alive, a local nonprofit no kill animal shelter. Having wanted a beagle for some time, back in December Joel adopted his dog Dierks from the SPCA. Many may not know Joel’s other passion is writing; bringing balance to his readers’ lives through stories and ideas that aim to encourage, inspire, and motivate.

His first book, "Inspire!" Inspiration For Life And Life At Work, evokes his positive outlook on life and discerning empathy for people by emphasizing that success at life is indeed achievable.