Remzi Gokmen

REMZI THE ROPER: Not only is he the newest hire at The Santa Barbara Independent, but Remzi Gokmen also boasts our paper’s most intriguing moniker. “It’s a longstanding family name,” he said, explaining that Remzi is a Turkish name that he shares with his grandfather and father, who is a successful radio disc jockey in Istanbul. After growing up in Akron, Ohio, (“Lebron and the Black Keys are its claim to fame,” he said) and Orange County, Gokmen came to SBCC and then went to broadcasting school in Huntington Beach, which led him back to Santa Barbara for a sales job with Cumulus Radio. In April, he joined our sales force but keeps his creative juice flowing via his Web site, TheRoper.com, explaining, “It’s got a decent following, just from my friends.”