Tennessee Voices, Episode 358: Rudy Kalis, prison ministry volunteer and former journalist
Rudy Kalis is a well-known figure in Music City.
He spent 45 years as a journalist -- 43 of those in Nashville working for WSMV-TV Channel 4, including as sports director.
But post-career, he has found a passion that he said has consumed his life: Helping inmates prepare to get their lives back post-incarceration.
He volunteers four to five days for Men of Valor, a prison ministry in Tennessee.
On this episode of the Tennessee Voices video podcast, Kalis talked about his passion and why he has such a heart for the men he is helping.
Kalis was born in Germany and came to America as a 5-year-old through Ellis Island in New York City.
His journalism career started in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and he always had a passion for sports.
Moving from the North to the South in 1974 challenged his assumptions, but he grew to love this city.
We also talked about his observations about the growth of Nashville, both the opportunities and the challenges.
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About Tennessee Voices
The Tennessee Voices videocast is a 20-minute program, which started in March 2020 and invites leaders, thinkers and innovators who have written guest columns for a USA TODAY Network Tennessee publication to share their insights and wisdom with me and our viewers.
Watch past episodes: Tennessee Voices videocast
Please email your ideas for future guests to me at dplazas@tennessean.com. Thank you for watching.
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David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network - Tennessee. He is of Colombian and Cuban descent, has studied or worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, and was the founding editor of Gaceta Tropical in Southwest Florida. He has lived in Tennessee since 2014. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or tweet to him at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Video podcast: Rudy Kalis, prison ministry volunteer and ex journalist
