KCCI, Iowa’s News Leader, has appointed Kurtis Gertz to the position of chief meteorologist.
KCCI, Iowa’s News Leader, has appointed Kurtis Gertz to the position of chief meteorologist.
In his new role, Gertz will lead KCCI 8 News’ experienced weather team while anchoring Storm Team 8 forecasts weeknights at 5, 6, 9 and 10 p.m.
Gertz has been a meteorologist at KCCI for more than 21 years. He joined the team from 1994 until 1998 and after a brief stint away, returned to KCCI in 2000. For the past 16 years he has been a leading voice on KCCI Storm Team 8.
Gertz has demonstrated his leadership and versatility during that time anchoring KCCI’s 5 p.m., noon, and most recently, weekday morning weathercasts. This leadership allowed him to immediately step in for more than a year for John McLaughlin during McLaughlin’s medical leave. Gertz has field experience as well, including covering the destructive Woodward tornado of 2005 from the KCCI Storm Chaser. He broadcast the funnel cloud live from his dash cam and was the first journalist on the scene to show the damage.
“Kurtis is a "pro's pro" and a natural leader. He is the ideal person to carry on our mission of keeping Iowa families safe in the wake of John’s departure,” said KCCI President and General Manager Brian Sather. “Kurtis’ passion for forecasting is directly tied to his love for outdoor activities; when he’s forecasting Iowa weather, he knows how important it is to get it right.”
“We are fortunate to have an experienced meteorologist like Kurtis on our staff to help lead our weather coverage during this recent transition. Kurtis has decades of experience forecasting Iowa weather. His energy, enthusiasm and knowledge are second to none,” said KCCI 8 News Director Dave Busiek.
“It has been my pleasure to work at KCCI keeping viewers safe for more than 20 years,” said Gertz. “I look forward leading the best team of meteorologists in Central Iowa.”
