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Published on: 5/12/2007
Last Visited: 5/12/2007
JENNIFER BROOME, CHIEF METEROLOGIST, WOAI SAN ANTONIO
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Jennifer BroomeIt was the deadliestU.S. hurricane in more than half a century.On Monday, August 29, 2005, Katrina hit just east of New Orleans.Over 1500 lives were sacrificed in Louisiana alone, where devastation meandered throughout a haze of catastrophic floods and a saddening reflection of lives lost.Jennifer Broome, Chief Meteorologist for WOAI, Channel 4 News, was en route to New Orleans on Sunday afternoon, after attending a Baron Services Workshop as a participant and trainer.From Houston to Baton Rouge, traffic was back to back."We were driving into the storm," she says."It was the first time when I felt I'd lost contact with the outside world and the reality became very frightening."As she sits down sipping on a Starbuck's coffee with me one early December morning, she pauses to reflect on the experience.I notice a gentle vulnerability emerge, setting the mood apart from our first introduction.Noting the entrance of an energetic, bubbly petite blond casually dressed in a twopiece workout suit.As her words carefully ensue, she admits it was the most difficult experience in her career."But this is just part of what I do," she says.
THE WEATHER BUG Jennifer moved to San Antonio in June of 2000, joining the then KMOL News 4 Today show as morning meteorologist and the Living Show with Tanji Patton.Originally from Greenville, South Carolina, Jennifer says growing up she always knew she wanted to be on TV."I looked up to Jane Pauly on the Today Show and Connie Chung," she says.In college, Jennifer pursued a degree in Journalism.
She landed her first weather position in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina after only three months of graduating with honors from South Carolina Honors College at the University of South Carolina.In Myrtle Beach, she pursued certification in Broadcast Meteorology from Mississippi State University and completed a B.S. in Geoscience with an emphasis in Meteorology in Knoxville.There, Jennifer met Gordon Barnes, the first Meteorologist to work alongside Walter Cronkite.
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Jennifer spent a few years in Knoxville, Tennessee, experiencing everything from floods to ice storms, before making her way to San Antonio.
"I can't see myself doing anything else," she says."I get excited about the weather."She calls it being in the "zone," where the excitement unfolds tracking and analyzing storms.Her unwitting confidence stems from more of a true passion than a duty or obligation."Sometimes I don't go to bed until 3 am or later, depending on weather conditions," she explains.But, for Jennifer, public safety is her priority.
CROSSING BORDERS AND BOUNDS After 12 years in the industry, Jennifer says she's very happy to make San Antonio her home."I've turned down everything from Denver and Miami to the Weather Channel to stay here," she says proudly.More than anything, what radiates from Jennifer most fervently are the great relationships she's built with the people she works with.The four-some trio to include Tanji Patton, Randy Beamer and Don Harris are like family to Jennifer, who is often referred to as the little sister.
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"I have my dream job," says Jennifer.She shows she's a true community oriented individual with an unwavering commitment to public safety."I think it's the people here that make it such a great city for me," she adds.
The greatest challenge Jennifer admits is being a woman in a man's field."I've especially felt it in this market," she says.Jennifer recognizes Siobhain Anders as the fi rst female Meteorologist in the city."She was the first to open the door for women in broadcast meteorology here," she adds.When promoted to Chief Meteorologist, Jennifer was the only female Chiefs in the city and remains so today.In fact, in the United States, there were only a small handful of female Chief Meteorologists when she started.Now, the trend is slowly increasing as more women emerge into the market."I feel I've broken through the barrier of just being the weather girl," she explains.
A STEP UP Fitness is Jennifer's second passion.She's been known to run The Race for the Cure and other road races, including biking in the MS-150.She's also a certified aerobics instructor.Jennifer participates on the board for several non-profit organizations including the advisory board of the San Antonio affiliate for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, CTRC's Cancer Center Council, The Junior League of San Antonio, and the Go Girl Go Grants Committee of the San Antonio Sports Foundation."We're doing something for the greater good," she says.
Jennifer, tenacious and unpredictable, as dictated by her professional atmosphere of Mother Nature's whims and graces, is an individual who radiates integrity with an auspicious smile and a foresight that illuminates wisdom beyond her years."I know I've taken the best path," she says.She's one of those rare people who consistently strive above and beyond yet remain humble and benevolent to everyone she meets."I use to think it was climbing the ladder to go national.Now, I just want to live a fulfilled life.Personally and professionally, I can weather any storm," she beams.
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