A few last words from Tori
After 19 years our beloved morning and noon anchor will be signing off the news desk this Friday. We sat down with Tori to get a little insider info on how she first got into the business, her most memorable moments at KTVU and maybe a thing or two about her co-anchors.
After graduating from college, I worked as a sales assistant in New York City but didn't find it very fulfilling. So I went to the Connecticut School of Broadcasting and loved it. All the instructors worked in local radio and TV stations so before I finished, I had 2 internships and 2 part-time jobs in the business. I was working 7 days a week for several months but was so happy. Eventually one part-time job at my home-town radio station became a full-time job. I was the morning news producer and then did on-air news updates in the mid-morning hours.
What was your first memory of working for KTVU?
My first memory is doing my audition. I was absolutely terrified, but figured I had nothing to lose. I knew a couple of the people already on Mornings on 2, including Sal, Ross McGowan and Brian Copeland, so I tried just to relax and be myself.
What story made the biggest impact on you?
No question; it was 9/11. Like just about everyone else, I was in absolute shock that this attack on our country could actually be happening. But we all just took a deep breath and tried to stay professional and do our job of telling what was going on as best we could. It was a little difficult personally because my husband was in Washington DC on a business trip. He could see the smoke rising from the Pentagon and was supposed to come home the next day. He eventually drove to Chicago and caught one of the first flights back to SFO on that Friday.
What are your tricks for getting ready for such an early shift?
Being very organized! I tell people that if need be, I can get from my bed and into my car in about 12 minutes flat. I don't move that quickly every morning, but I usually have my bag of food ready the night before as well as my outfit for work all set up in my closet. I'm also adamant about getting to bed at a decent hour so I try to get at least 7 hours of sleep.
What's your favorite thing to eat for breakfast before/or at work?
Since I'm a plant-based nutrition consultant, I'm very particular about what I eat. I've found the very best breakfast for me to have at work is my own green smoothie (see that recipe here!) that I make the night before. I did a cooking demonstration of it a few months back and posted the link on my Facebook page. It's basically a mix of vegetables, (spinach, cucumbers, celery and carrots) with some frozen bananas, berries, and protein powder with chia seeds. It's easy to have at my desk once I get settled and it gives me a good amount of energy to keep me going all morning.
Tell us something about your coworkers that our viewers might be surprised to know?
Hmm… I could get in a little trouble for this, but hey, I'm about to leave, so why not?!
Steve Paulson always bows to a west wind. (Smart man in my opinion). He's also a real wine connoisseur and he loves fancy ties from Hong Kong.
Sal and I have known each other for about 25 years. We are almost exactly the same age (he's actually 4 months older!) He thinks he's a geek but he's actually a really cool guy.
Dave Clark has acted in many Hollywood movies and knows some really famous actors and singers. He was also actively recruited to join the Secret Service. I think he would have been great at it, but I'm glad he chose to go into journalism.
Pam does an incredible job of balancing being a mother to 2 beautiful active girls, being a busy volunteer, and also getting up at the insane hours required for her shift.
What is your favorite thing about living in the Bay Area?
It's a little hard to choose one thing, especially since I'm about to leave this area after 26 years here. I think the diversity always amazes me. You have a world-class city in San Francisco, yet about an hour or so away is the wine country, the mountains, Yosemite, the ocean, and Silicon Valley. And the people are fantastic. We've made so many wonderful friends here and know we'll come back a lot.
What has been your favorite thing about working for KTVU?
Probably meeting so many incredible people. I love having smart co-workers and, in this industry, you really can't be dumb and work at this high level. We've also had some fabulous guests on the newscast over the years. And I really love just following the news; knowing what's going on in the world and telling people about it. It's a pretty darn cool job!
Any parting words for your morning team?
Keep up the good work. We have an amazing crew in the morning, from the writers to the editors, to the producers, reporters, photographers and anchors. And KTVU will still have an amazing crew after I've left. Our goal has always been to have some fun in the morning but when serious news happens, we can kick it into high gear and do the very best job possible of informing our viewers.
Any tips for Gasia?
She'll do great in the morning. She's got a wonderful energy and enthusiasm for the news. I think she just needs to focus on being herself and she'll fit in wonderfully.
So what now, what do you plan to do during the first few months of retirement?
Ahh, the big question. I'm going to be traveling for about 10 weeks, seeing family and friends in various parts of the country. About half that time I'll be at my family's 100 year-old lake cottage in Michigan where I'm going to just relax and unwind. In the fall, we'll probably settle up in the Seattle area where my husband has been working for over 6 years. I may try to do some part-time journalism, possibly in health or nutrition which is a real passion of mine. I also plan to do more volunteer work, find more time for yoga and traveling too!
I plan to keep posting on my Tori Campbell Facebook page, at least through the summer, in case anyone wants to follow some of my adventures into this new chapter of my life.