WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Here are five of Kelley Dunn's most memorable moments throughout her 36-year career at WPTV, told through the venerable departing anchor's own words.
Matrimony
Meeting my husband John within months of being hired was certainly a highlight. John was finishing college and I had just graduated from the University of Florida. He was working in the newsroom in a variety of roles while attending FAU.
We started dating but kept it a secret until the channel 5 Christmas party that year. That's when we announced that we were a couple!
Four years later we were married and the majority of our colleagues in the news, including Bill Brooks, our general manager, came to Daytona Beach for our wedding.
John and I will celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary in July!
Bill Brooks
Working for legendary general manager Bill Brooks is also highlight of my career. Bill, a former priest, managed to make every single employee feel special and valued. It literally felt like we were one big family.
Bill loved his Labradors and they were always welcome at the station. Often you would realize something was next to your desk and it was one of Bill's dogs going through your trash can!
Bill also loved children and mine were often at the station, along with all the others. Bill knew all of our full names, our children's names, our pets names and made sure every woman in the building had a flower on St. Patrick's Day and Valentine's Day. He was a special man, but we were the lucky ones working for him!
Colleagues
Working with Kent Ehrhardt, John Favole, Jim Sackett, Shannon Cake, Chandra Bill and Michael Williams has definitely been an incredible highlight of my career!
Each of these talented people helped me become a better anchor and a better journalist. They each have incredible personalities. Each is funny in his or her own way and I enjoyed laughing and sharing life with all of them!
It is a real bond when you're working so closely with someone on the anchor desk and I could not be more blessed than to have worked with this group!
Alpha and Omega
I feel blessed to have spent my entire career at one station. Growing up in Ormond Beach, Florida, I loved that I was only 3 1/2 hours away from my family. When my children were little, it was easy to go home for a weekend and see grandparents, great grandparents and cousins.
Spending my entire 36 years at WPTV really allowed me to develop deep roots in this community. I was able to volunteer with organizations that meant a lot to me and was able to feel a deep connection to so many viewers, many of whom became friends.
Viewers Like You
Telling heartfelt stories is definitely one of the highlights of my 36 years.
From my weekly "Kelley's Heroes" reports that focused on volunteers and extraordinary people in the community, to my in-depth special reports, to meeting Oprah and George Clooney — among many other celebrities — it has been an incredible journey!
Thank you WPTV and all the good people of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast!