CLASS OF 2010
Mike Garwood enjoyed a stellar career as a broadcaster for over three decades at KCOW Alliance, overcoming a physical disability in achieving it. Mike assisted in the town’s growth, was a supporter of high school sports, and was a popular air personality and mentor to his radio family.
An Army vet who made it through combat patrols in Vietnam, Garwood was injured in a diving accident in 1973 that left him unable to walk. After rehab in the mid-1970s, Mike went to broadcasting school, then returned home to Alliance and was hired as the afternoon DJ at KCOW radio. For the next 32 years, he became a sportscaster, then promotions director, operations manager, and 18 of those years as general manager.
During his career as a general manager, his company added two more FM stations to the market. Meanwhile, he served eight years on the Alliance City Council, and four years as Mayor. He served on the Alliance Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for six years and was Chamber President in 1991,
Mike was honored with a Crystal Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Associated Press in 2006.
Mike passed away in December 2007.
