John Rogger recently took on a new role in town as the chair of the Miami Lakes Special Needs Advisory Board.
It’s the first time Rogger, 35, has served on one of the town’s dozen volunteer committees. But it’s something that is close to his heart -- he said both of his sons have autism.
Rogger and his family have lived in South Florida since 2015. He moved from Palm Springs North to Miami Lakes in 2020 with his wife Claudia and sons Dominic, 11, and Anthony, 8.
A University of Missouri graduate, Rogger is a radio broadcaster turned entrepreneur and started Beyond Broadcasting. The company develops social media and multi-media plans for clients and produces videos, podcasts and radio shows, he said. He is also media and public relations director for the South Florida Autism Charter School in Hialeah, where his sons are enrolled.
Q: Where are you from and what is your background?
A: Originally, I’m from St. Louis Missouri, my wife is from the Dominican Republic and we met in Kansas City, Missouri. We moved to Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri [and] we lived there until we moved [to Country Club]. My background is German, Swiss and English.
Q: What do you most like about Miami Lakes?
A: [Its] small town feel it reminds me of our hometown. We knew our neighbors, we knew our business owners [and] we worked together to grow and improve the community. That same vibe is here. We couldn’t find that anywhere else in South Florida.
Q: What do you dislike about the town?
A: I guess just the traffic. That’s about it.
Q: What are the demands/responsibilities of your current position and what do you hope to accomplish?
A: We have a lot that is going on. [Because of] Covid, for the longest time we were shut down and unable to do stuff. There was a lot of activities, events and things we wanted to do with the community that we couldn’t do during Covid. Now we’re in that phase of starting those programs up again. The greatest challenge is getting these things lined up, getting [the] events taking place and making sure we have the team set up for this, on an on-going basis. For the community to see we have stuff planned, that there is a goal in mind here to help our special needs community learn [and] grow, whether it’s the parents or the children.
Q: What is your biggest accomplishment, personal or career?
A: I think the biggest personal accomplishment is my family. With the challenges of autism and the changes in our lives coming to South Florida, it has been hard but I wouldn’t change a thing. I love them and I will fight for them for the rest of my life. My biggest accomplishment [in my] career was launching my own NASCAR radio program and interviewing people such as Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Darrell Waltrip here at Homestead Miami Speedway. Of [career] accomplishments, that was the height.
Q: What would you rather be doing, what is your fantasy career?
A: As a kid I wanted to own and operate a radio station.
Q: What books are you reading, are there any podcasts you’re listening to?
A: A podcast [I listen to and] I am part of, “Autism 411.” Currently, I am reading “I Declare: 31 Promises to Speak Over Your Life” by Joel Osteen and “One Year to an Organized Life” by Regina Leeds.
Q: What have you binge watched on TV?
A: On television it’s either anime shows [such as] “Eureka Seven,” “My Hero Academia” and “Inuyasha.” All of “Star Trek,” “X-Files,” “Knight Rider” and “Man v. Food.”
Q: Where did you last travel to on a vacation?
A: Last vacation was Orlando, we were up there to go to Disney for our kids in 2021. We went to Sebring and stayed in a log cabin in May, 2020. It was nice to be away from all the sounds.