ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hello, Tampa Bay! Originally from Philadelphia, I'm elated to be living and reporting in our beautiful community, where my family goes back generations.
My dad's family moved from Oklahoma to Hyde Park during the Great Depression. My grandfather was an accountant with clients including Bern's Steakhouse, and my grandmother had a dance studio out of their garage. My mom's family lived in the Frostproof area of Polk County since the 1800s until her dad left to enlist in the Air Force during World War II and became a fighter pilot, running combat missions over the English Channel.
I still remember getting hamburgers with the special sauce from the original Goody Goody on Florida Avenue (and a slice of butterscotch pie!).
After graduating from Emerson College in Boston, I worked as a reporter in Washington state and in Roanoke, Virginia, where I later became the evening anchor at age 22. There I anchored the 6 and 11 p.m. news for WDBJ-TV (CBS) for seven years. In addition, I covered the crime and court beat and produced long-form investigative series, two of which won regional Edward R. Murrow awards.
It’s hard to tell my story without mentioning the on-air shooting at WDBJ in 2015, which killed my then-girlfriend and morning reporter, Alison Parker, as well as her photographer, Adam Ward. I came back on the air soon after and helped guide the community through its collective grief and was recognized for my admirable openness in the aftermath, including being named Roanoker of the Year by Roanoker Magazine.
I felt called to give back to my region in a different way and left WDBJ in 2017 to run for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, where I served from 2018-22. While in office, I tried to advocate for the people I covered in my stories, including passing a bill to create an Office of Children’s Ombudsman to help protect foster children from neglect and passing a shield law to prevent censorship of college news media and journalists.
Now (very) happily out of office, I am proving you’re "never too old to go home again," returning not only to my family roots in Tampa Bay but also my first love of storytelling and journalism with impact. Outside of the newsroom, you’ll likely see me out jogging along Bayshore Boulevard or Howard Park, or in my driveway working on my 1993 Jeep Cherokee XJ.
I'm delighted to be part of a terrific team at 10 Tampa Bay!
Connect with Chris: churst@10TampaBay.com
