Church Women United in Atlanta honors Brenda Wood

[RCCAtl]

      CHURCH  WOMEN  UNITED  IN  ATLANTA

Margaret G. Koehler

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or: Joyce Myers-Brown

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Church Women United in Atlanta honors Brenda Wood with annual Human Rights Award

 

Church Women United in Atlanta will host its annual Human Rights Award Celebration on September 12, 2014 at First Presbyterian Church, Atlanta.  The national award event is a part of  Church Women United’s attention to the part played by individuals and units toward the efforts of addressing human rights issues.  The program theme “Through God Our Hands can Protect” centers on the mission of service ministry.  The 2014 award will be presented to Brenda Wood in recognition and in honor of her life-time efforts in the field of human relations and human rights.

  

The Reverend Joyce Myers-Brown coordinates the program.  Other participants will include CWU President Joyce Tillman, Margaret Koehler, Celebrations Coordinator,  and other local women.  The celebratory event, September 12 from 11 a.m.to 2:00 p.m., includes lunch catered by Atlanta’s famous Road Show Catering.    Tickets are available by calling Tryphenia Speed, 770-981-0200; $30 individuals, $240. for a table of eight.   The deadline for purchasing tickets is September 5

Broadcast journalist Brenda Wood, an anchor of 11Alive News at 6pm, 7pm and 11pm,  is

one of Atlanta's most prominent and trusted local news anchors. 

Brenda was born in Washington, D.C. in 1955.  She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Loma Linda University in Riverside, California.  Upon receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Speech Communication and Mass Media in 1977 Brenda began her journalism career only months later as a general assignment reporter at WAAY-TV in Huntsville, Alabama.

A year later in 1978 Brenda accepted a reporting position at WSM-TV in Nashville, Tennessee; but just a few months later she returned to WAAY in Huntsville to become the weeknight anchor for the 6pm and 10pm news.  She also continued general assignment reporting, and she hosted a half-hour weekly public affairs program.   In 1980 Brenda’s career took her to Memphis, Tennessee, where she spent eight years as the primetime anchor for the weekday evening newscasts at WMC-TV.  She was Memphis’ first black female news anchor.

In 1988 Brenda accepted the primetime anchor position at WAGATV in Atlanta, Georgia, where she also reported and eventually co-produced and hosted the Emmy Award-winning news magazine show Minute by Minute.

Brenda later joined WXIA-TV in Atlanta in 1997 as the evening anchor for the 6pm and 11pm weeknight newscasts, a position she currently holds.  She also anchors her signature 7pm newscast The Daily 11 at 7 with Brenda Wood which features her popular and nationally

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recognized Last Word commentary.  Brenda has also co-produced and hosted several Emmy Award-winning programs at WXIA. including the series of primetime specials Journeys with Brenda Wood.

Throughout her career Brenda has received numerous honors and awards, including eighteen Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Southeast

Region; four awards from the Georgia Association of Broadcasters; The Gannett Broadcast Writing Award for Short Form Commentary, four awards from the National Association of Black Journalists; and six awards from the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists;

In 2006 Brenda was inducted into the Silver Circle of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  In 2013 she was named Georgia Woman of the Year by the Governor's Office of the Georgia Women's Commission; and in 2014 she was named an African American HistoryMaker and archived at the Library of Congress.   Brenda will be inducted into the Atlanta Press Club’s Hall of Fame in November, 2014.

Over her 26 years in Atlanta Brenda Wood has also received numerous awards and recognition for her work in the community with local schools and youth groups as well as a wide range of civic and humanitarian  organizations,  including The Atlanta Community Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, The American Cancer Society, Pink Ribbons fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness, CARE, Go Red for Women, The Georgia Mental Health Association, Project Interconnections for the Homeless, The Task Force for the Homeless, Hosea Feed the Homeless, The Alzheimer’s Association of Atlanta, and Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theater Company, to name a few.

Brenda has been named  Who's Who in Atlanta; awarded the NAACP Phoenix Award for "Best News Anchor," and named "Best Local News Anchor" by Atlanta Magazine.

Brenda is the mother of two adult daughters, Kristen Wood Burke and Kandis Wood Jackson.