Tim Radford is a man of many hats. He's a radio station owner, a community volunteer, and the current Mayor of Murphy, North Carolina. But to Tim, all of these roles are simply different ways to serve his community while being engaged with various organizations that make a positive impact on our community.
"I don't consider the position of Mayor a political position," Tim says. "It's a position of community service. I love helping people and solving problems, and that's what I'm here to do."
Tim grew up in Murphy, and he's proud to call this small town home. After graduating from Murphy High School in 1991, he went on to study Radio/TV/Motion Pictures at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While in college, he worked for Capitol Broadcasting Company as producer of the Duke Radio Network and the American Speed Association Radio Network. He also dabbled in broadcast engineering.
In 1995, Tim returned to Murphy and purchased WKRK, the radio station he worked for in high school. He's been the owner of WKRK ever since, and he's used his platform to promote his community and its many assets.
In addition to his work in radio, Tim has also served on numerous boards and commissions. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Murphy, a Public Image Chair for Rotary District 7670, and a former board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters of WNC, Four Square Community Action, Reach of Cherokee County and the North Carolina Community Foundation. In 2019, he was honored to be chosen as Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce's "Citizen of the Year."
In 2021, Tim decided to run for Mayor of Murphy. He campaigned on a platform of community service and problem-solving, and is honored to work with a great team aimed at improving the quality of life for all Murphy residents. He works to attract new businesses and jobs to the town and is a strong advocate for education and workforce development.
Tim is a passionate advocate for community service. Appointed by NC Governor Roy Cooper, he serves as a Commissioner with the NC Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, and he's on the Board of Directors for the NC Mayors Association, Southwestern Commission Council of Governments, Association of Tennessee Valley Governments, Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, and Murphy Main Street. He currently serves as the Vice President of Public Image for The CART Fund (Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust) and serves as a member of a Rotary Club focused on Alzheimer's Research.