glbradiologo275155 Uduak Ntuk was born, raised, educated, still lives, currently works for and is engaged to be married in the City of Long Beach, and though he loves his hometown … well … let’s just say he doesn’t need any help counting the ways it’s become a hot mess.

At times like this—when Long Beach’s shorter-and-shortercomings are itemized in residents’ agonized reactions as city officials subject the budget to its annual blood-letting—the perspective of somebody whose stake in the city is no less than a lifetime might be valuable.

uduak184157 That’s why Uduak Ntuk is the featured guest on today’s episode of Greater Long Beach Radio, the public-affairs program hosted by GreaterLongBeach.com publisher Dave Wielenga in collaboration with KBEACH.org, the online radio station at California State University/LongBeach.

Greater Long Beach Radio begins its fall season today in a new day-and-time slot—Thursdays at 11 a.m. You can catch it live on KBEACH.org, or listen at your leisure by visiting the KBEACH.org archives or by downloading a podcast.

Uduak Ntuk—we’ve been pronouncing it “Oooh-doo-wok  EN-tuck,” and haven’t been corrected yet—comes to today’s interview fresh off a Wednesday night fundraiser at The Factory restaurant in Bixby Knolls. Proceeds support his fast-approaching trip to Charlotte, where he will represent Long Beach’s 47th congressional district as a delegate to next week’s Democratic National Convention.

Although this may be a nice time to get out of town, the view of the national landscape isn’t any prettier—certainly not compared to 2008, Ntuk’s first time as delegate, when the Democrats held their convention in the rarefied air of Denver (the Mile High City) Colorado and the giddy promise of Barack (Yes We Can) Obama.

But in assessing current conditions, Ntuk isn’t only taking inventory of the problems that seem to be multiplying, but is also stockpiling a list of potential solutions—and applying them when feasible. At age 33, he seems to have a lifetime of experienc at that, too.

Ntuk’s long record of public service includes becoming an Eagle Scout as a member of California Heights’ Troop 78. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors for Environmental Charter Schools, the Industry Advisory Board for the Center for Engineering Diversity at the University of Southern California and as Vice Chair of the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Board’s Youth Council. Also, he has two daughters and coaches youth soccer.

Ntuk was raised in the Deforest Park neighborhood of North Long Beach. He’s the grandson of a former Flight Deck Captain stationed at the Long Beach Naval Base and the son of an immigrant father from Africa. He works as a Petroleum Engineer with the City of Long Beach.

Every bit of that resume constitutes a qualification to be today’s guest on Greater Long Beach Radio, including the fact that it’s fun to say Uduak Ntuk.