Professional Experience

2014 to present: Anchor for WINK News This Morning. Previously worked at KMGH-TV in Denver, WSJV-TV in South Bend, Ind., and KOMU-TV in Columbia, Mo.

Hobbies, Interests & Community Service

Enjoys participating in marathons and triathlons.

Education

The University of Missouri.

Likes best about Southwest Florida

As an island girl at heart, I'm thrilled to be back by the beach. While there are so many fantastic things about Southwest Florida, one of my favorites is Captiva, which holds a special place in my heart because that is where I celebrated my marriage.

Hometown

I don't have one. I've never lived anywhere longer than four years.

Family

Husband and two young children.

Memorable Assignments

Covering the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colo., and historic floods that destroyed parts of Colorado.

Interesting Fact

As the daughter of U.S. Navy parents, I've lived in 10 states, Guam and Sweden.

Brian Rist helps the community through his business and philanthropy

The owner of Storm Smart has built an empire providing materials to keep your home safe in hurricanes. Now Brian Rist is looking at how he makes long-term impacts in our community through philanthropy. WINK News sat down with the businessman who’s sharing his wealth and knowledge. Any Friday of the fall semester, you can […]

Advocates push for front-facing vehicle cameras to save children

  Bigger cars and trucks mean bigger blind spots up front, putting young lives at risk, as one family tragically learned earlier this year. Seven-year-old Alissa was a fun-loving, cheery little girl who tragically died on Easter weekend, devastating her entire family. Her grandmother accidentally ran her over in the driveway. Alissa’s aunt, Lisa Ottendorf, […]

Naples Zoo holds gala to raise money for repairs, new facilities

Taking a walk on the wild side. Animals were on the prowl at the Naples Zoo Gala on Thursday night. WINK News and Gulfshore Life sponsor the event, and anchors Corey Lazar and Lindsey Sablan were at the zoo for the gala. The theme was moonlight in Malaysia and is a direct nod to EKo […]

Making Strides: Collier County woman details family’s breast cancer history

One family-owned business in Collier County is close to raising $100,000 for breast cancer awareness. STOCK Luxury Homes got involved because its staff has a firsthand understanding of the battle against the disease. Six women on the company’s team shared stories and worked hard these last few weeks to raise money. One of them is […]

Naples boy gives birthday money to families impacted by Hurricane Ian

When Hurricane Ian hit weeks before one Naples boy’s 12th birthday party, he decided to ensure that people in need got an even bigger gift than he did. Easton Hicks’ parents debated whether or not to have a party, but they decided their boys needed something to enjoy, so they went to Sky Zone Trampoline […]

Better Together organization helping Suncoast Estates community

Hand-delivering supplies to families in need because when you don’t have a car or gas, a distribution site doesn’t cut it. In Southwest Florida packs of water bottles getting loaded off trucks is now commonplace. But, what’s different is strangers and volunteers walking the streets to essentially take orders and then bring the supplies to […]

A look at WINK News after Ian

WINK News evacuated its building early on Sept. 29 after Ian’s storm surge drenched the studio with about 4 feet of water. The studio, the lowest point in the building was the hardest hit, but floodwaters spread from room to room. The team began broadcasting from the transmitter site near Babcock Ranch on Sunday. By […]

Retired SWFL teachers train FGCU education majors on fighting stress

Two retired Southwest Florida teachers opened up to WINK News about their struggles in the classroom and how they’re working together to combat teacher stress and burnout. Andrea Trank taught high school for 15 years and received the Golden Apple for her work with students. Nowadays, she wears a device that tracks her heart rhythm […]

How to prepare young children before school begins in SWFL

There are fewer than three weeks left until the start of school in Southwest Florida. One teacher is asking parents to prepare their young children early, but not with reading, writing or arithmetic. Kindergarten teacher Hayley Segal with the School District of Lee County says it’s all about teaching independence. As the parents of the […]