Teresa Woodard is the weekend anchor and a senior reporter at WFAA in Dallas, TX, specializing in general assignment reporting.
1) Who are you? I must have been born to be a journalist. My mother and father say when I was a young child sometimes I’d grab The Dallas Times Herald off the kitchen table and read them the headlines. I also used to beg them to let me stay up past my bedtime to watch the 10 p.m. news. Clearly this job is just in my blood. I am a native Texan, born and raised in Dallas near White Rock Lake. I went to DISD schools and then Texas A&M University. I worked at television stations in College Station, Waco, Knoxville, and St. Louis before coming back home to Dallas. I won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for a series of stories a team of WFAA reporters did on domestic violence in our city. I am also an Emmy winner.
2) What are your interests? The reason I’m a reporter is to share people’s stories. I think so much inspiration can be found in everyday people. I love stories of grit and determination. Professionally, there’s no better feeling than when someone you’re interviewing tells you that you really “get” who they are. Personally, I love travel, I love running and I love dogs. I think experiencing new cultures, eating new food and seeing historical sites gives you a new perspective on life. Running is what I refer to as cheap therapy. And my furry four-legged children are another form of therapy. Hmmm…I wonder why I need so much therapy?
3) What do you like about working at WFAA? WFAA stands for Working For All Alike. To me, the key there is “all alike”. There’s a popular quote about treating the janitor the same way you treat the CEO. I wholeheartedly agree with that and I believe WFAA is committed to that, too. I try to live a nonjudgmental life. I believe everybody should have a chance to be their true authentic selves. I also live by one rule – the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Kindness matters.
4) What's one thing people would be surprised to learn about you? People might be surprised to learn I am a huge sports fan. Baseball is my favorite, so I live and die by the Texas Rangers. But I love football and basketball too. At one point in my career, it was my dream to be a sports reporter. I got to play around in it while I worked in St. Louis. I hosted a show about the St. Louis Rams – the NFL team that has since relocated to Los Angeles. I also worked for the team, appearing on the jumbotron during games interviewing fans. One more surprise – I adore George Strait. I think I’ve seen him in concert a couple dozen times.
