Timber Lake’s own, Jay Rokeach (aka JayRo), has recently landed a job as the announcer for the NHL Florida Panthers, and we couldn’t be prouder. In fact, if you can’t hear us, we’ll shout a little louder!

JayRo started in the broadcasting industry when he was a teenager. As JayRo said, “If you know at an early age you aren’t going to be a great athlete but you love sports, you look for different avenues to get involved.” He was his High School basketball team’s manager and soon after he began announcing the games himself. He went on to the University of Miami and looked to get involved there as well. In typical JayRo fashion, when asked about which sport he approached first when he wanted to help out, he said “Basketball. They went to Hawaii and had a great road schedule. Couldn’t pass that up!” Although the basketball team already had people in place, JayRo landed his first gig as the school’s Baseball PA announcer in 1968. Soon after, he got promoted as the PA announcer of the school’s basketball, football, and volleyball teams. (more…)