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| Justin Stapleton |
"I've always had a fascination with hurricanes and tropical storms," Stapleton told mikemcguff.com. "That's one of the draws to KPRC and Houston, an opportunity to forecast storms when they get into the Gulf and to be out in the field reporting when severe weather hits. More importantly, a chance to learn from some amazing seasoned mets like Frank (Billingsley) and the rest of the team. Also to get a chance to learn from a former NHC director, Dr. Read, is an incredible bonus."
If you like storms, Houston is your place. And I have a feeling Stapleton will be able to remain cool under pressure during a hurricane. According to his bio, before moving to TV weather, Stapleton worked in the mental health field assisting police departments in Maryland by providing on-site crisis intervention and training. Talk about intense.
"If you were to ask me what I wanted to do if I could do anything, it would be TV weather," Stapleton told me. "However, I also loved psychology and enjoyed working with the police doing crisis intervention but I got burned out after a while and was looking for a change.
"I didn't want to regret not taking the chance to see if I could do broadcast meteorology, so I researched around, found the program at [Mississippi State University] and was fortunate to get my first gig working while I was still finishing my classes. I still love psychology and I use it almost everyday just in a different way now with news. It's still a pretty valuable tool to know how to work with people, especially in the TV biz!"
Agreed. In my uneducated opinion, most newsrooms should come with a couch and a therapist that charges by the minute.
Stapleton starts at KPRC in early 2015. He'll have to get used to our flat landscape first.
"I'm a city kid at heart and I love the energy and diversity that a city like Houston offers," he added. "I have to say that I will miss the Oregon mountains, they're amazing!"
Before KEZI, Stapleton worked for WCBI in Columbus, Mississippi. According to his bio, Stapleton holds a Master’s degree in geosciences from Mississippi State University and the AMS Seal of Approval. He is a full member of both the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Association.
Now I know people are going to ask me if Stapleton is replacing Anthony Yanez who is going to KNBC LA next year. I asked KPRC this and was told no decision on Yanez's replacement has been made as of yet. Stay tuned.
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