Lisa Thomas-Laury facts for kids

Lisa Thomas-Laury is a retired news anchor from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was a well-known face on TV, especially from 1983 to 2003, when she co-hosted the 5 p.m. news show on WPVI-TV.

Lisa Thomas-Laury's TV Career

Lisa started her career at WPVI-TV in Philadelphia on February 20, 1978. She began as a co-anchor for the noon news and a reporter. She even got the job over famous TV host Oprah Winfrey!

In 1983, Lisa was promoted to co-anchor the 5 p.m. newscast. She worked alongside Marc Howard until 2003. She also often filled in for Jim Gardner on the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news shows.

Lisa also hosted a monthly show called Fast Forward, which was made for teenagers. She also took over the show Visions, which focused on African-American topics, and it was later renamed New Visions.

Lisa Thomas-Laury is one of the few African American women who have been news anchors in Philadelphia. Other notable anchors include Tamala Edwards from WPVI, Renee Chenault-Fattah from WCAU, Natasha Brown from KYW, and Joyce Evans from WTXF.

Lisa's Health Journey

In 2002, Lisa began to have health problems. She first felt tingling in her feet. After many tests, she finally went to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. There, she received the correct diagnosis: she had POEMS syndrome. This is a rare illness that can cause nerve damage and other issues.

Lisa took a break from Action News for almost a year to focus on her health. She returned to work on September 11, 2003. However, her health problems came back, and she had to take another medical leave.

In May 2004, Jim Gardner announced that Lisa would be stepping down from her main anchor duties. This allowed her more time to recover, but the door was always open for her to return to WPVI when she felt better.

Returning to the Air

On November 22, 2006, Lisa Thomas-Laury made a guest appearance on WPVI's 11 p.m. newscast. She announced that she would be returning to the station soon. The very next day, November 23, 2006, she appeared during Philadelphia's annual Thanksgiving Day parade broadcast, a parade she used to co-host.

Lisa officially returned to Action News on January 2, 2007. Her first report was about the opening of Oprah Winfrey's school for girls in South Africa. After that, Lisa often reported for the noon, 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m. newscasts. She also filled in as an anchor when needed.

Lisa Thomas-Laury retired on May 25, 2016, after a 38-year career at WPVI. In 2009, the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia honored her by adding her to their Hall of Fame.

In 2017, Lisa wrote a book about her life called On Camera and Off, When the News is Good and When it's Not. She spent most of that year traveling around to promote her book.