Vanessa Welch will join WFXT-TV FOX 25 in Boston as co-anchor of the station’s evening newscasts, anchoring the 5,6,10 and 11 p.m. newscasts alongside co-anchor Mark Ockerbloom. She comes to FOX 25 from Cox Media Group’s WFTV-TV ABC 9 in Orlando, FL where she has been an anchor and reporter since 2007.
Vanessa has big shoes to fill, she replaces Maria Stephanos, who left FOX 25 in September 2015 after 18 years at the station.
“Vanessa is a strong journalist who has a track record of making a difference in the community,” said FOX25 Vice President and General Manager Tom Raponi. “We are looking forward to her joining the FOX25 News Team and being a trusted source for Boston viewers.”
“Vanessa’s success, both anchoring newscasts and affecting change through impactful investigative reporting, speaks for itself,” said News Director Lee Rosenthal. “She is a caring individual whose genuineness shines through on the air.”
While at WFTV, Vanessa anchored the market’s #1 rated 5 p.m. newscast. She covered national stories of interest, including the Casey Anthony and George Zimmerman trials.
Her investigative work included uncovering problems with Florida's toll payment system that led to innocent people going to jail. Her reporting led to changes at the state and local levels that helped fix the problems.
Vanessa also has been a watchdog for taxpayers. She broke stories about rampant abuse in food stamp and unemployment programs that caused changes to better protect taxpayer money.
With a strong track record of making a difference, Vanessa became a champion for viewers in need of help. That help included a single mother’s desperate attempt to get Medicaid coverage for a lifesaving surgery. Welch brought the case to state leaders, who changed Florida’s policy so that this type of surgery would be covered for all Medicaid patients in Florida.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the people of New England and join the talented team of journalists at FOX25,” said Vanessa. “My husband and I are excited to become part of the Boston community, living and working in one of America's greatest cities.”
Prior to joining WFTV, Vanessa had been a reporter at WTVD-TV ABC 11 in Raleigh, NC since joining the station in 2003. While there, she was nominated for a local Emmy Award for breaking news coverage and spent considerable time covering the John Edwards presidential campaign. She also has the opportunity to interview First Lady Laura Bush during her time there.
She started her on-air journalism career at KOSA-TV CBS 7 in Odessa/Midland, TX where she was a morning anchor. She received several awards for her medical reports on cancer research at KOSA, and covered President Bush's run for the White House from his home town. She also met her husband, current WESH-TV meteorologist Jason Brewer, in 2000.
She has also worked behind the scenes at WAAY-TV in Huntsville, AL as an assignment editor and associate producer; and had an on-air internship covering the Georgia General Assembly.
As a mom of three young boys, Vanessa has a special place in her heart for helping children. After being introduced to a little girl with cancer six years ago, she helped start a 5k run for kids with cancer that has grown to 5,000 runners. The Vanessa Welch Reindeer Run at SeaWorld became an annual tradition that continues to raise funds to fight pediatric cancer. In addition, Vanessa volunteers with several organizations that are working to break the cycle of poverty. She is also involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
A native of Atlanta, Vanessa is a graduate of the University of Georgia. She starts at FOX 25 on December 1.
