Joel Natalie, Sr. is a 40-year broadcast and communications veteran and award-winning media personality who has been deeply invested in the Erie community throughout his career. He is the host and creator of The Joel Natalie Show on 105.9 FM TalkErie.com WZTE, a daily three-hour radio program and podcast singularly focused on Erie — featuring dialogue with newsmakers, civic leaders, and experts on the region's most important topics. An Erie native who grew up in the west-side Little Italy neighborhood, Joel graduated from Mercyhurst Preparatory School and received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts from Gannon University.
Passionate about Erie's future, Joel has volunteered his voice and ideas to strategic planning, anti-violence, and anti-poverty initiatives across the region. His show has hosted political leaders, national authors and columnists, CEOs, executive directors, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders from across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In addition to his media work, Joel has directed communications at a large church and has been an avid presence in the digital and social media landscape.
Joel's work has earned three Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Excellence in Broadcasting Awards, and his podcast has surpassed 1,100 episodes, making it one of the most sustained local voices in the region. He was recognized with the Community Spirit Award in 2023 by the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership, and in 2026 with The Spirit of Civility Award by Common Ground USA.
