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| WKYC Chief Meteorologist Betsy Kling |
WKYC's evening meteorologist Betsy Kling has been named "Chief Meteorologist" announced WKYC News Director Rita Andolsen on Tuesday.
"Betsy brings a passion and energy to telling the weather story in a way that our viewers recognize and appreciate," explains Andolsen.
"I look forward to working with our already strong weather team including Hollie Strano and Bruce Kalinowski to push forward our weather product on-air, on-line and mobile," Kling tells the Director's Cut Blog. "It's a very exciting and dynamic weather team to work with."
Kling's Emmy award winning forecasts can be seen on the Monday through Friday editions of Channel 3 News at 6, 7 and 11 PM, on wkyc.com, and can be heard on Clear Channel radio stations including WTAM/1100 AM, WMJI/105.7 FM and WHLK/106.5 "The Lake."
Betsy is part of a small group of women in the country who has earned the prestigious Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) accreditation from the American Meteorological Society, as well as the Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association (NWA). She is a full member of both professional organizations.
Additionally, she is active in the NWA and sits on several committees, including the Broadcast Meteorology Committee, and is an evaluator for Seal of Approval applicants. She also organizes fundraisers to support NWA college scholarships for aspiring meteorologists. Previously Betsy was elected as a NWA Councilor and was honored with the National Weather Association's Member of the Year award for 2004.
Her industry awards include a 2009 Emmy Award for Crafts: Weather, Emmy nominations in 2010, 2008 and 2005 for News: Weathercast and Crafts: Weather, and an Emmy award in 2003 for Team Effort News Event Coverage of the Columbia Shuttle Tragedy. In 2007 she was awarded first place by the Ohio Associated Press for Best Regularly Scheduled Weather. Betsy was honored with the Hattie Larlham Media Award for Service in 2004. In 2010 Cleveland Magazine named her one of Cleveland’s Most Interesting People and Jacksonville Magazine named her Best of Real People in 2002.
Betsy is very active in the community and often speaks at schools and civic organization meetings. She gives her time to several charities in the area including the Hattie Larlham organization, American Red Cross, American Heart Association, Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, and Cleveland Zoo, among others, and is passionate about teaching children of all ages about the weather. She created and produces Channel 3’s Weather Education Day every year with the Cleveland Indians.
Betsy was born and raised right here in northern Ohio. Her hometown, Copley, is in Summit County just to the west of Akron. After graduating from Copley High School she went to Bowling Green State University where she earned her journalism degree and a minor in meteorology. She finished her remaining meteorology coursework through Mississippi State University. Betsy worked in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Jacksonville, Florida before coming home.
Betsy is married to former WKYC reporter Paul Thomas and the couple welcomed daughter Josephine in July of 2008. When not running after her child, Betsy enjoys competitive tennis, reading, fishing, and taking time to enjoy nature and all of its wonders.
