Newly appointed 99 FM Station Manager Glenda Locke is incredibly beautiful, talented and intelligent. But that's not what makes her extraordinary. Yes, she knows what to do behind a microphone, her crystal clear melodic voice, which until recently graced the airwaves, and made her one of the country's most sought after presenters for the past decade, is testament to that.

Yes, her expertise in marketing and sales has made her a force to be reckoned with in the industry, and yes, she now finds herself in a leadership position, which more than often would only be assigned to someone much older than what she is. What makes Glenda Locke extraordinary is her innate sense of humanity. In an industry that is infamous for oversized egos, scandals and treachery, Glenda does what very few do. She cares - for her clients, her station and for the legacy of radio. Gifted, brave and passionate this is a woman that takes no free rides.

After completion of her secondary education at Duetche Oberchule, which also included her participation in a student exchange program through which she had the opportunity to stay and school in Selle, Germany for a couple of months, she opened her eyes to the bigger picture of the world, her foray into radio happened quite by chance, the kind of thing that could be explained as a serendipity moment.

"After matriculating I enrolled for a law degree at the University of Namibia and one day had to pick up my brother Mario Locke from work, who at that time, as luck would have it, was a DJ at Radio 99. Unbeknown to me, the station was looking for freelance radio DJ's. On a whim and more as a joke I asked Mario Aita, the previous owner and manager, whether I could do a quick audition. He agreed, told me to go on air immediately and do a live read, and bet me N$200-00 depending on whether I pulled it off! I did! And just like that I was in," she recalled.

Training under the likes of well known radio DJ's Mario Locke and Sackman, she worked around the clock, lapping up as much experience as she could, and realizing with each passing day that her life had taken a new and unanticipated direction.

"When the radio bug bit, it bit me hard! I knew almost instantly that law was not for me, and that I'd found my calling. It's something that stays with me till this day. That exhilaration is hard to explain. It's a little bit of nerves, paired with a lot of excitement. Radio is an extremely effective and personal media tool, and I loved being able to reach my listeners on such an immediate and private level. Apart from that I love music, so the ability to wrap music around you, your personality and your mood is an amazing experience. I am so blessed to have been able to find my passion at such a young age. I love my job, I love my station, I love my staff - they are truly my other family and I love being able to wake up and go to work in an environment which buzzes with energy and creativity," she said.

"People talk about the glamorous aspect of media, and yes I'll admit there are times when I get VIP treatment, but more importantly radio gives you the opportunity to reach out to people every day. Besides I won't be the first person to tell you that there is nothing glamorous about sitting in the studio at four in the morning, in your slippers and crazy hair because you're on the morning shift!" she said with a wry smile.

Eager to learn as much as she could, she quickly started playing a bigger part in the company.

"Mario Aita always inspired me to be the best in the industry. He never criticized, but rather advised, and because he was so knowledgeable about the industry, and about radio in particular he taught me almost everything I know today. What a transmitter is, where they are located, what a receiver does, what the radius of our station frequency is he was a wealth of information. And I was incredibly lucky to have him as both a manager and a mentor," she asserted.

And as is custom with small companies it was not soon before she spread her wings to other departments at the station.

"I fell into admin and marketing, with no prior experience, simply because there was no one else to do it, and I was up for the challenge!" she exclaims.

Taking baby steps, learning from brother Mario as she went, and extended her feelers into the industry, as with any job those early days were not always easy.

"My husband always tells me that I have the ability to make people feel special, but whether it's my people skills or divine luck, slowly but surely things started looking up. Armed with a select group of clients, Liz Van Wyk from MTC, Marelize Maree from Castle Breweries and Felicitas Kakoro from Telecom, I eventually came to the stage where my clients became friends. My word is my honour, I always give them their money's worth, and I support their needs personally instead of delegating. That's what makes marketing such a rewarding career path," she stated.

Securing the position of Marketing Manager at Radio 99, and holding that seat for six years, it's clear that as a businesswoman, work plays an important part in her life. Yet, when it comes to her heart, nothing matters more than family.

"What work has taught me is that there is no ladder too high to climb. I have climbed my ladder and continue to do so daily. And because radio is such an intoxicating industry, for a very long time it was all about work. It was almost as I lived on planet 99. When you are so involved with your work, your paranoia gets to the stage where one thinks the station is irreplaceable, but actually it's family that is irreplaceable. However, life has taught me that there is nothing more important than family. You have to put your family first. Yes, radio is magical, but the magic family brings never fades. I am extremely blessed to have two gorgeous, brilliant children and a loving husband who is always supportive. It's been a rocky road, but I am deliriously happy." she said.

With the radio station's impending re- launch being the local buzz on the street, and with her at the helm of the station management, the excitement is palpable.

"About two years ago Democartic Media Holdings( DMH) took ownership of Radio 99, and it became Namibia FM99. At that time we were steered by a brilliant manager, Gert Jacobie, who envisaged re-creating us into a talk radio, where the focus would be on the latest news, actuality and sports. Recently DMH decided to bring in researchers to research the feasibility of talk radio in the country and who our defined target audience is.

Eventually it was derived from this research that Namibia was too small to accommodate a radio station

entirely focusing on talk. As such we discovered a gap in the market where our target market is concerned and for which none of the local radio stations are currently catering for. It's a very exciting process, not only for myself or the station, but for our listeners as well. We are re-launching early next year, and I have no doubt that it will be a resounding success. I'm sure you've heard that we are now 99FM, and all I can say is watch this space!" she said.

With so many amazing projects for the near future, being station manager makes her giddy.

"It was such a tremendous honour for me to be appointed Station Manager by DMH CEO Chrisna Greef, who saw my potential and gave me this awesome opportunity. It has always been my goal to be hands on at the station; I wanted to know as much as I could about every aspect of the company, whether it is administrative, marketing wise, technically or on air performance related. It's been twelve years; I know who we are, who our listeners are and what makes them happy. And I believe that it is not my marketing expertise, or my knowledge of the industry that gave me the opportunity to be the next leader in 99's history, it was my love and passion for radio," she concluded sentimentally.