Professional Experience

Amanda joined the WINK News team in October 2011.  She anchors week nights at 4:00 PM, 7:00 PM, and 11:00 PM on WINK-TV and 6:30 PM and 10:00 PM on WXCW.  Amanda previously served as the evening anchor at WDHN in Dothan, Alabama.

Awards and Recognition

Amanda's work on the anchor desk and in the field covering breaking news has been honored by the Suncoast Chapter of  the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), the Florida Associated Press, and the Florida Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

News Philosophy

To give a voice to the voiceless and hold the powerful accountable.

Hobbies, Interest & Community Involvement

Amanda volunteers and contributes to several annual events for charitable organizations including Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southwest Florida, Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida, Healthy Start of Southwest Florida, Multicultural Centre of Southwest Florida, and the Southwest Florida Reading Festival. When she's away from work, Amanda enjoys reading, shopping, traveling, and cheering on the Florida Gators!

Education

Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication, University of Florida.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

Amanda was born in Fort Myers and raised between the Gulf Coast and Sebring in Central Florida, so it's great to be home!

Hometown

Born in Fort Myers, Fla., raised in Sebring, Fla.

Memorable Assignments

Amanda's work takes her all over Florida and the country covering stories of national importance. In 2016, Amanda covered the presidential candidates including two nationally televised debates and the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.  In 2017, she anchored WINK's coverage of President Donald Trump's Inauguration.

Interesting Fact

Amanda is a former Miss Florida Gator

Dr. Teresa Sievers. (Credit: WINK News)

Teresa Sievers: The life behind the murder victim

While you may know her face and you probably know the name, who was Dr. Teresa Sievers before she was a murder victim? “Ladies, remember when walking into a room meant turning heads?” said Teresa in a YouTube video. “You had that glowing skin, in-shape body. Didn’t you feel sexy and confident?” Teresa was used […]

FILE: Taylor Shomaker in May 2016. (Credit: WINK News/FILE)

Sievers Murder: Rodgers’ then-girlfriend says he confessed to the killing

Once the jury is seated, one of the witnesses we expect them to hear from is Jimmy Rodgers’ former girlfriend, Taylor Shomaker, who said the suspect confessed to Teresa Sievers’ murder. She told WINK News about it in an exclusive interview in 2015. Taylor was pregnant when she said her baby’s father, Jimmy, confessed to […]

Woman's suffrage protest in the 19th century. (Credit: WINK News)

On Women’s Equality Day, Southwest Florida women look back

Amelia Earhart flew solo. Rosa Parks refused to get up and Sally Ride went way, way up. Those women are pioneers of their time. They are some of the famous women in history, but not the only ones. Ruth Anderson uses a laptop and an iPhone, both are technologies she helped develop decades ago. “There are […]

Dr. Teresa Sievers. (Credit: WINK News)

Teresa Sievers: The life behind the murder victim

While you may know her face and you probably know the name, who was Dr. Teresa Sievers before she was a murder victim? “Ladies, remember when walking into a room meant turning heads?” said Teresa in a YouTube video. “You had that glowing skin, in-shape body. Didn’t you feel sexy and confident?” Teresa was used […]

FGCU student remembers life in Venezuela, discusses current crisis

Fires, fights and deaths. That’s the reality for many people in Venezuela right now. Both the embattled president and opposition leader called on their supporters to take to the streets. For Florida Gulf Coast University student Fabiana Solano, it’s hard to watch. “Buildings are being torn down, fires are starting and people lose their lives […]

Multiple Sclerosis Center of Southwest Florida. WINK News photo.

Multiple sclerosis center helps those with an incurable disease

If you Google, “multiple sclerosis,” you will find thousands of articles about drug trials, experimental stem cell transplants and endless research. But, there is no cure or even a known cause. More than 2,000 of our neighbors in Southwest Florida have multiple sclerosis. There is a unique center that helps people with the devastating disease. Inside […]

TopGolf blue-print of new Fort Myers facility.

Sneak peak of the new Fort Myers Topgolf blueprints and location

Brand new blueprints filed with the city reveal what the proposed Topgolf will look like in Fort Myers. The facility will feature golf with climate-controlled playing bays, along with an extensive food and drink menu, televisions and music that make for a party atmosphere. The blueprints show a huge driving range. There is still no […]

Elected officials talk algae in nation’s capitol

Sanibel leaders have been shuffling through the halls of Congress all day to make sure Southwest Florida waters —thousands of miles away—are a major focus of our federal lawmakers. Sanibel mayor Kevin Ruane has held face-to-face meetings, and he brought reinforcements from home: photos of the thick green algae choking the waterways. Congressional leaders are […]

Candidates vying for Gov. to square off at Sunshine Summit

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis will participate in a debate Thursday as they vie for the position of Governor of Florida. First elected to the Florida House at 22 years old, Adam Putnam came from a family of citrus and cattle farmers, which later served him well in the state’s […]

Hotels, restaurants unleash dog-friendly dining

FORT MYERS, Fla. — The next time you head out for a night on the town, you may not have to leave your pet behind. More hotels and restaurants are catering to the four-legged clients, offering special pet menus. When Tamara Waterston stays at The W Hotel, she splurges for her dogs and orders them […]