{"id":2,"date":"2011-07-27T16:24:40","date_gmt":"2011-07-27T16:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lizreyes.com\/?page_id=2"},"modified":"2017-07-28T21:11:46","modified_gmt":"2017-07-28T21:11:46","slug":"sample-page","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.lizreyes.com\/?page_id=2","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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All About Liz Reyes<\/h2>\n

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Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Award Winning Journalist Liz Reyes is a TV News Anchor, Reporter and Television personality at Fox 8 News WVUE New Orleans<\/strong><\/a>, with a long and distinguished career covering a wide range of events, topics and individuals in Canada, the United States and Latin America.<\/p>\n

No matter where she has lived,\u00a0 Liz believes in community service and contributing her time generously to promote the Arts, Culture and working with local charities especially those dedicated to helping children.<\/p>\n

She is often busy in her off hours delivering keynote addresses and performing the role of Guest Speaker at a number of Universities and Schools around the Country, and is often heard touting the importance of education, staying in school and studying hard as well as all the great opportunities that our country has to offer.\u00a0 In 2006 Liz became an American Citizen in a ceremony that also celebrated the reopening of the New Orleans Immigration Office, which had been closed since Hurricane Katrina.<\/p>\n

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As a child she grew up in Port of Spain Trinidad a cultural melting pot that is renowned for its diversity, and reflected through the exotic fusion of foods brought to the Island by immigrants who arrived from the world over.<\/p>\n

An avid traveler and foodie,\u00a0 Liz loves to experience new and exotic culinary delights.\u00a0 At home Liz enjoys relaxing with a good book and loves to help her husband recreate meals from their travels, including delicious Trinidadian curry dishes from her native homeland, and new recipes found in her favorite magazine Sauveur.\u00a0 Liz is pictured below at home in her favorite room\u2026the kitchen, in a 2004 magazine article profiling her.<\/p>\n

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Career and Education<\/strong><\/p>\n

Early in her childhood her family moved to Toronto Canada where she soon became accustomed to her new home.\u00a0 It was not long after that Liz realized that her goal was to become a Journalist and have a positive influence on peoples lives.\u00a0 Liz early on believed strongly in the duty of the press to deliver accurate, fair, balanced and timely information, and that Journalism was a fundamental cornerstone of our democracy.<\/p>\n

Never one to take shortcuts, Liz volunteered and worked as an intern<\/strong> for several shows in Toronto Canada<\/strong> such as TV Ontario\u2019s Financial show MoneysWorth<\/strong>, where she performed research and wrote reports.\u00a0 She also worked for CFMT Channel 47<\/strong> in Toronto where she worked as a Writer, Reporter, Interviewer and Editor in their Sports Department, as well as their Current Affairs Program \u201cUpfront\u201d<\/strong> working as the Host, Researcher, Writer, Reporter.\u00a0 Later on she worked as an Editorial Assistant for CBC National TV Newsroom<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A graduate of renowned York University in Toronto<\/strong>,\u00a0 with a Major in Political Science and Mass Communications<\/strong>, Liz began her career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)<\/strong> as a TV\u00a0 Reporter and News Anchor for CBC Newsworld <\/strong>National News.<\/p>\n

Continually looking for new challenges and an eagerness to get out in the field and hone her skills from the ground up,\u00a0 Liz continued to advance through a variety of markets working as an Anchor and Reporter in several CTV Affiliate<\/strong> stations in Ontario Canada, taking on increasing responsibilities in an effort to build journalistic credibility. \u00a0 During this time she covered a plethora of stories ranging from taking a \u201ccage\u201d 20,000 feet underground to report on a Neutrino Research Lab, to dog sledding in the winter forest with Native Indians to better understand their culture.<\/p>\n

Liz eventually moved to Miami<\/strong> in 1994.\u00a0 Her new position as the Nightbeat Reporter and fill in Anchor at South Florida\u2019s number one TV Station<\/strong> and ABC Affiliate WPLG Miami<\/a><\/strong>, was a coveted energy charged high profile news position in South Florida.<\/p>\n

While at WPLG<\/strong>, Liz reported on some of the nations top news stories, and covered in depth such stories as the 1997 murder of Fashion Designer Gianni Versace on South Beach<\/a><\/strong> and the manhunt and eventual discovery of Andrew Cunanan\u2019s suicide in Miami Beach.<\/p>\n

In addition Liz spent weeks in the South Florida steamy Everglades with rescue workers, covering the horrific 1996 crash of ValuJet flight 592<\/a><\/strong> killing all aboard, and the Cuban Air force shooting down of two Miami based Cuban Exile planes in 1996<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

While in Miami she also interviewed a wide range of\u00a0 infamous people like O.J Simpson<\/strong> and high profile entertainers like Madonna<\/strong>,\u00a0 Actor Sylvester Stallone<\/strong> and Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In the late 1990\u2032s Miami was an extremely active news market as the city grew rapidly and became home for hundreds of thousands of new immigrants from all over the world. The variety of News stories was astonishing in such a diverse community.\u00a0 Along with covering the news in a city with a large Hispanic population where Spanish is an asset, Liz was one of a few journalist who spoke French and could communicate with Miami Haitians who could not speak English.<\/p>\n

As a fast paced and aggressive news market with rapidly breaking stories, Liz spent a great deal of time rushing to breaking news scenes using the stations helicopter \u201cSky 10\u2033,\u00a0 an absolute necessity in Miami\u2019s maze of congested highways.<\/p>\n

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In August of 1997 Liz accepted an offer from WGNO TV in New Orleans<\/strong> to become their main TV News Anchor and put a major thrust on news coverage.\u00a0\u00a0 She was responsible for anchoring the 5pm, 6pm and 10pm News shows, and later the 9:00pm CW along with hosting her own segment Liz\u2019s Lagniappe, and special investigative features, a heavy schedule that is rare in TV News.<\/p>\n

Hurricane Katrina Impact<\/strong><\/h3>\n

On August 28th 2005 as Hurricane Katrina<\/strong> headed for New Orleans, WGNO evacuated the majority of their on air and behind the scenes staff to WBRZ in Baton Rouge to prepare for the monster storm.<\/p>\n

Liz chose to stay in the city to report on the Hurricane and checked into the Hyatt hotel\u00a0in downtown\u00a0New Orleans\u00a0to prepare for\u00a0the landfall of Katrina. Liz was on the ground near the Superdome in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina came ashore knocking out power in the city,\u00a0 and soon to experience the levee breach and waters rise.<\/p>\n

As Katrina pulverized the city, Liz continued to provide live phone reports<\/strong> to the ABC 26 News Team that evacuated to Baton Rouge and for other stations across the U.S. and around the world<\/strong>. Liz was able to transmit via cell phone some of the first pictures of the destruction to the Superdome and downtown <\/strong>immediately after the storm<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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For the next several days, Liz experienced the miserable conditions that hampered trapped citizens after the landfall of Katrina.\u00a0 Without running water, food, electricity or air conditioning in the 90 degree+ heat, and humid New Orleans weather, stranded people in the Hyatt and Superdome did the best they could to find the necessities of life while sleeping on floors trying to keep dry after the Hurricane blew out the hotel windows tearing up the rooms and hotel .\u00a0 (see slide show pictures of hotel)<\/p>\n

Conditions in the Hyatt complex deteriorated rapidly in the darkness and flooded corridors.\u00a0 Liz later was able to gain entry to the shutdown WGNO studio which is part of the Hyatt complex, however it was heavily damaged.\u00a0 The TV studio had a backup generator which they were able to power up supplying minimal electricity.\u00a0 At the station the skeleton staff who stayed behind lived off of whatever food they could find. The station was severely damaged by large shards of glass from the window panes of adjacent high rise buildings, falling and penetrating the roof, allowing water to pour into the station.<\/p>\n

After several days of sleeping on damp floors, she and the remaining Tribune staff were ordered to leave the city and travel to Baton Rouge due to safety concerns and assist in the coverage from WBRZ\u2019s newsroom. However the flood waters had risen around the Hyatt and Superdome area and it was not possible to leave.\u00a0 The parent company Tribune made several attempts to retrieve the staff using a helicopter but weather conditions hampered the ability to land near the station.<\/p>\n

Eventually the waters receded just enough, and with the assistance of the Sheriff\u2019s department they were able to form a convey of SUV\u2019s carrying the personnel and equipment and\u00a0 maneuver through the flood waters surrounding the Superdome.\u00a0 In the effort one vehicle was not quite high enough and began to float and stall.\u00a0 The 2 remaining vehicles rammed the flooded vehicle and was able to push it through the flood waters to eventual higher ground where it was abandoned. Finally after finding a safe and open route out of the city, Liz along with the other staff traveled to Baton Rouge where they got whatever rest they could by sleeping on the floors in offices and the auditorium of WBRZ TV.\u00a0 However, there was little time for rest, and Liz took to the Anchor Desk for 24 hour coverage and also traveled daily back into New Orleans on her off time to report on the aftermath of\u00a0 Katrina.<\/p>\n

It was several months before the station would return to New Orleans and begin broadcasting from temporary facilities based out of trailers behind the damaged station in downtown New Orleans.\u00a0 For Liz personally she was finally able to make her way home once power was restored over a month later.\u00a0 While damage to her home was not excessive, a newly renovated condo she owned in Lakeview had been flooded with 9 feet of water as a result of the 17th street levy breach and was severely damaged to the point where it had to be fully \u201cgutted\u201d.\u00a0 Like so many people caught in the nightmarish aftermath of Katrina, it would not be until January 2010 before the damage to her condo was finally repaired by the Condo Association after a series of missteps.<\/p>\n

Awards and Reporting<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Along with anchoring the 4 main newscasts at WGNO, Liz specialized in Investigative reporting and won the First Place 2004 Press Club Best Investigative Piece for her \u201cParking Ticket Pay-up\u201d<\/strong> story that uncovered more than 60 million dollars<\/strong> owed to the city in unpaid Parking Ticket fees.<\/p>\n

In 2004<\/strong> Liz was also the only New Orleans Journalist to fly into the eye of Hurricane Charley<\/strong> before it made landfall in Florida and again in 2008 Liz flew into the eye of Hurricane Ike with the Hurricane Hunters<\/a><\/strong> just hours before it made landfall at Galveston, Texas.<\/p>\n

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On Board the Hurricane Hunter Heading to the Eye 2004In 2007 the Louisiana A-P Awards also recognized her with the state\u2019s Third Place Best Investigative Award<\/strong> and Honorable Mention for Investigative Reporting for her story on the first of her stories on the \u201cJump Out Boys\u201d<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In 2007<\/strong>, the Louisiana Associated Press awarded her Second place for \u201cIn-Depth\u201d series for her <\/strong>stories \u201cJump-Out Boys\u201d<\/strong> on an undercover elite New Orleans Police Unit and the challenges\u00a0 it faces Post- Katrina.<\/p>\n

That same year \u2014 2007 the 10pm Newscast she anchors won the Louisiana Associated Press \u201cBest Newscast\u201d <\/strong>in the state award.<\/p>\n

Since 1997, she\u2019s anchored the station\u2019s coverage of every major local news event affecting the metro area including the conviction of former governor Edwin Edwards<\/strong>, the arrest and convictions of Serial Killer Derrick Todd Lee<\/strong>, the Emmy Winning Sugar Bowl Countdown Coverage<\/strong> and the 24 hour a day coverage 7 days a week of Hurricane Katrina <\/strong>at their backup facility in the aftermath of the hurricane.<\/p>\n

Liz also traveled to Washington D.C to cover New Orleanians fighting for more federal dollars<\/strong> to rebuild the Katrina damaged New Orleans area.\u00a0 She has also been quoted and mentioned numerous times in local publications for her in depth and probing interviews with former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin<\/strong> during his second term.<\/p>\n

In 2009 Liz was one of the fortunate few people to ever take a ride in an F15 Eagle Jet<\/strong>, something that she says she \u201cwill never forget\u201d and was an \u201cinvaluable experience to better understanding our brave Military men and women of the Armed Forces\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Liz is a member of the Investigative Reporters and Editors \u2013 IRE<\/strong>, a Graduate of the International Woman\u2019s Media Foundation Leadership<\/strong> program, and a Graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy Program<\/strong>.\u00a0 Liz has served on several panels at national events,\u00a0 and\u00a0was invited\u00a0to speak at forums and universities across the United States on the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.<\/p>\n

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She serves as an Honorary Board member\u00a0for the non-profit group Dress for Success <\/strong>, an Honorary Member of March of Dimes<\/strong>, and also serves as a Board Member on the non profit association Raintree<\/strong> in New Orleans, and gives her time freely to Support Children\u2019s issues<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A big believer of Arts and Culture, Liz is a member of the New Orleans Opera Woman\u2019s\u00a0 Guild<\/strong>, and a Sustaining Member for the New Orleans Museum of Art<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Liz also participates in the \u201cPrincipal for the Day\u201d<\/strong> program and recently was a \u201cPrincipal for the Day\u201d at Audubon Charter School.<\/p>\n

As an advocate for the Arts, Liz recently worked with a New York actress friend to help find a deserving home for a brand new Baby Grand Piano.\u00a0 The newly donated Grand Piano which was valued at over $25,000 made its debut\u00a0 on stage at Le Petit Theatre in the French Quarter<\/strong> April of 2010.\u00a0 The Piano was used until the end of the season and is now being used in other musical programs in Louisiana.<\/p>\n

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She regularly speaks at local elementary schools, colleges and universities encouraging students to stay in school, get good grades and reinforces the abundance of opportunities this great country has to offer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In August of 2009 Liz left WGNO and now runsher Media Company LizReyes.com<\/strong> and Consulting Company G.M.A Corporation<\/a><\/strong>, where she has been involved in several Productions and Documentaries, and has worked with CSPAN<\/strong> at the Deepwater Horizon Hearings.\u00a0In late 2009\u00a0she began Freelancing for Fox 8 TV<\/a> in New Orleans<\/strong>, covering the Gulf Oil Disaster and other stories.<\/p>\n

Liz also freelances for RCN National News in Latin America<\/strong> where she has Anchored and Reported<\/strong> in Bogota Colombia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Recently she covered the Colombian Presidential Elections<\/strong> where she interviewed the leading candidate who that night became the new Colombian President.\u00a0 She also spent time covering cultural activities and news events around Bogota.<\/p>\n

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In May of 2011 Liz was back on the Anchor desk to host a new\u00a0Fox 8 Newscast\u00a0in New Orleans where you can see her daily from 12:00 noon until 1:00pm.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Want Liz for a Guest Speaker or Emcee at your Next Event?<\/h2>\n

If you are interested in\u00a0having Liz as a guest speaker at your event, please contact us via email at: liz@lizreyes.com<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n