Lori Tipton Lester

For most of the kids in Lori Lester’s fifth grade class, the field trip they took to a TV news station in Chattanooga, Tennessee was simply a fun diversion from an ordinary day in the classroom. But not for young Lori. For her, it was destiny calling. “I was only nine years old, but from that day on, I knew I wanted to work in TV news,” she says.

Lori earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication at Berry College in Rome, Georgia and landed her first job in TV as a reporter / anchor at a small cable station in nearby Ellijay, GA. Having accomplished her first goal, Lori set off another longtime aspiration -- to pack her bags and move to West. For as long as she could remember, Lori always wanted to leave the South in pursuit of greater opportunities out West, particularly Alaska. Even she can't really say why -- perhaps it's the pioneer spirit in her.

Whatever the case, she got her first taste of Alaska during a two-week trip which is when Lori fell in love with the state's Southcentral region. During that trip, she dropped off a resume tape at KTUU Channel 2 News in Anchorage. Even though there were no job openings, Lori remained persistent, calling and e-mailing news director, John Tracy, at least once a week. A few months later, Tracy finally called her. "Boy, your tenacity!" he said. "I like it!"

It's not often one travels 4,300 miles for a job interview, but Lori did, confident she was embarking on a journey toward making all her dreams come true. And she was right. Over the next four years, she was KTUU's Valley Bureau Chief in Wasilla, reporting daily before being promoted to weekend anchor. Lori was awarded by the Alaska Press Club for her reporting and live shots. After leaving KTUU, Lori signed on as News Director for KTBY FOX4 and KYUR ABC13 -- a joint news operation in Anchorage.

When Lori isn’t working, you’ll find her dabbling in photography, hiking, fly fishing, camping, or exploring the great state of Alaska with her husband. She is married to Bob Lester of KWHL-FM's Bob and Mark Show. They live in south Anchorage with their three truly Alaskan mutts -- Winston, Oscar & Baxter.