Vickie Thomas

Vickie Thomas is the City Beat Reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950. She was raised in Highland Park, “The City of Trees” — that was before the July 2, 1997 storm blew through the area. She covered the storm for WWJ that evening and the clean up over the following days and weeks.

Thomas discovered her passion for writing when she was in high school. She won quite a few awards for speaking and writing as a student at Henry Ford High School in Detroit, and decided that journalism was the best profession for her. Thomas attended Michigan State University and graduated from Wayne State University, cum laude with an honors degree in broadcast journalism. The highlight of her academic career was as an intern in Congressman Louis Stokes office on Capitol Hill where she was instrumental in getting commemorative legislation passed honoring Olympic Gold Medallist Jesse Owens.

In 1991 Thomas joined WWJ Newsradio 950. Throughout her radio career she has earned awards from the Detroit Press Foundation, the Michigan Association of Broadcasters, the Michigan Associated Press and the National Association of Black Journalists. Thomas was honored with a first place in Individual Reporting during the1998 Associated Press Michigan Broadcast Awards Contest. She also has received the national “Gabriel Award” from UNDA-USA for the WWJ Black History Month Series “The African-American Church: The Heart and Soul of Metro Detroit’s Black Community”.

Thomas is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, and started a scholarship and internship program for college students interested in the field of broadcast news, while serving as Vice President of the local chapter. She also enjoys visiting local schools for Career Day to talk to students about her job and giving them advice on what they need to do to break into the business. Thomas also sits on the board of the Midwest Aids Prevention Project (MAPP) and CASA Maria Family Services.

As a homeowner, Thomas spends a lot of time refurbishing her historic home, which was built in the 1920’s, and has nearly 3,700 square feet. Thomas loves to travel. Some of her favorite trips have been to the South of France, Florence, Italy and Bath, England. She likes walleye fishing in Lake Erie and even baits her own hook!