Lisa Thomas-Laury
Encyclopedia
Lisa Thomas-Laury is a news anchor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States
.
Ms. Thomas-Laury started at WPVI-TV
in Philadelphia on February 20, 1978, as noon co-anchor and reporter. In 1983, she was promoted to the 5 p.m. newscast, co-anchoring it until 2003 with now-retired news anchor Marc Howard. At the same time, she frequently substituted for Jim Gardner
when he was unable to anchor the 6 & 11 p.m. newscasts. She also has done the monthly Fast Forward, series, now hosted by Rick Williams, a show geared for teenagers. She has taken over the African-American-oriented, locally-produced "Visions" program (now named "New Visions") from Vernon Odom
.
Thomas-Laury is also believed to possibly be the inspiration for the character "Maria" from the Guess Who? board game. Although she denies this rumor, she has admitted to sitting as a model for the illustrator of the popular game. The connection, she claims, is purely coincidental.
Thomas-Laury, who is black, is one of a few African American women to anchor in the Philadelphia market, a group that currently includes her fellow WPVI anchor Tamala Edwards
, WCAU
anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah
, WCAU
anchor Lori Wilson, KYW
anchor Natasha Brown, and WTXF anchor Joyce Evans
.
for almost a year and returned to work on September 11, 2003. She was scheduled to return to hosting the annual Thanksgiving Day parade, which she had missed, but her health problems returned, causing her to miss the parade again and return to medical leave.
In May 2004, Jim Gardner
announced on the air that Lisa Thomas-Laury would be permanently leaving her anchor duties (but not leaving WPVI itself, as Gardner said that the door would be open for her to return when her health permitted) in order to have more time to focus on her recovery.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Ms. Thomas-Laury started at WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV
WPVI-TV, channel 6, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Walt Disney Company-owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. WPVI has its studios located on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd, and its transmitter is located in the...
in Philadelphia on February 20, 1978, as noon co-anchor and reporter. In 1983, she was promoted to the 5 p.m. newscast, co-anchoring it until 2003 with now-retired news anchor Marc Howard. At the same time, she frequently substituted for Jim Gardner
Jim Gardner (broadcaster)
Jim Gardner is the stage name of James Goldman , an American news anchor for WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.A native New Yorker, Jim has lived most of his adult life in the Delaware Valley. In 1970, Jim received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University...
when he was unable to anchor the 6 & 11 p.m. newscasts. She also has done the monthly Fast Forward, series, now hosted by Rick Williams, a show geared for teenagers. She has taken over the African-American-oriented, locally-produced "Visions" program (now named "New Visions") from Vernon Odom
Vernon Odom
Vernon Odom is a local Philadelphia TV journalist.Odom received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Political Science from Morehouse College and later continued his education at Columbia University. He started with WPVI-TV, in Philadelphia in 1976...
.
Thomas-Laury is also believed to possibly be the inspiration for the character "Maria" from the Guess Who? board game. Although she denies this rumor, she has admitted to sitting as a model for the illustrator of the popular game. The connection, she claims, is purely coincidental.
Thomas-Laury, who is black, is one of a few African American women to anchor in the Philadelphia market, a group that currently includes her fellow WPVI anchor Tamala Edwards
Tamala Edwards
Tamala Monique Edwards is an American television news anchor and reporter.She began her journalism career as a correspondent for Time magazine in 1993, eventually working in the Washington, D.C. bureau...
, WCAU
WCAU
WCAU, channel 10, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WCAU has its studios on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in the...
anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah
Renee Chenault-Fattah
Renee Chenault-Fattah is the co-anchor of the of WCAU NBC 10 News at 4, 6, and 11 p.m. on weeknights in Philadelphia. She is married to U.S. Congressman Chaka Fattah of the 2nd Congressional District of Pennsylvania....
, WCAU
WCAU
WCAU, channel 10, is an owned-and-operated television station of the NBC Television Network, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WCAU has its studios on the border between Philadelphia and Bala Cynwyd. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 34 from a transmitter in the...
anchor Lori Wilson, KYW
KYW
KYW may refer to:* KYW , a radio station licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States* KYW-TV, a television station licensed to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
anchor Natasha Brown, and WTXF anchor Joyce Evans
Joyce Evans
Joyce Evans is an African American news anchor and reporter. She currently anchors WTXF's Fox 29 News at 6 and 10 P.M on weekends. She joined the station in 1996 as a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter....
.
Medical leave
In 2002, Thomas-Laury began to experience health problems. Her first symptoms were tingling in her feet, which she assumed was from too much power walking. Her problem was initially misdiagnosed. According to a WPVI special report from November, 2005, Lisa finally ended up at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, where she got the right diagnosis: she was suffering from a syndrome called POEMS, which can cause nerve damage, organ enlargement, hormonal imbalances, and skin changes. She went on medical leave from Action NewsAction News
Action News is a local television newscast format in the United States. It was conceived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at WFIL-TV by then-news director Mel Kampmann in 1970 as a response to the "Eyewitness News" format used on rival station KYW-TV...
for almost a year and returned to work on September 11, 2003. She was scheduled to return to hosting the annual Thanksgiving Day parade, which she had missed, but her health problems returned, causing her to miss the parade again and return to medical leave.
In May 2004, Jim Gardner
Jim Gardner (broadcaster)
Jim Gardner is the stage name of James Goldman , an American news anchor for WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.A native New Yorker, Jim has lived most of his adult life in the Delaware Valley. In 1970, Jim received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University...
announced on the air that Lisa Thomas-Laury would be permanently leaving her anchor duties (but not leaving WPVI itself, as Gardner said that the door would be open for her to return when her health permitted) in order to have more time to focus on her recovery.