Friday night was an emotional night for FOX 26 KRIV anchor Melinda Spaulding.
She wrapped up a 13 year career with the FOX owned and operated station and said goodbye to television news.
Friends and family gathered for a goodbye party to celebrate all things Melinda at the Buffalo Soldier National Museum.
"This city is my city, and I love it," Spaulding said on the station's website. "Yes, I love it. The years have been filled with news, tragedies and joys, but the stories that touched our hearts."
The same day as Spaulding said goodbye to FOX 26 viewers, it was announced at Texas Southern University’s Board of Regents meeting that Melinda Spaulding Chevalieras (married name) is the new Vice President of University Advancement.
In her new post TV role, Spaulding will lead TSU’s marketing, communications, development and alumni relations departments.
“We are elated to have a dynamic and seasoned professional join our university,” TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane said in a release. “Melinda’s experiences across the public spectrum in Houston and the region will help TSU raise its profile on a national and global level. Texas Southern is honored to have her join our dedicated administration and the Tiger family.”
Spaulding came to KRIV in 2004 as a reporter. She then became the anchor of Fox 26 News at Noon. Later she helped launch Fox 26 News at 5. Finally she took over the reigns of Fox 26 News at 9.
"It was a pleasure to have her working here, watch her grow and mature into a wonderful young woman who became one of our anchors, but also it's wonderful to know she came here to Houston not only to grow her career, but also meet her husband, Felix, and has two lovely children at this point," said station VP/General Manager D’Artagnan Bebel.
Before Houston, the award winning journalist reported and anchored morning updates at WGNO New Orleans. Her first stop in the TV news world was as a writer and morning producer for KTLA Los Angeles.
Spaulding got her start in journalism as a member of the group who launched Entertainment Weekly Online. That became a launch pad to put make her the first editor-in-chief of Essence Online.
The newly minted TSU VP is a graduate of Howard University.
Working for TSU will not be Spaulding's first entrance into the education world.
According to the TSU release, Spaulding started the Dream Journal Academy which provides journals to Houston area school children "so they can write about their passions and dreams to bolster their education and personal aspirations."
She is also a former board member of Family Houston and served on the advisory board for Pro Vision, Inc., an open-enrollment charter middle and high school in the Sunnyside community.
Spaulding and husband, Felix Chevalier, are the proud parents of a Landon and Felix II.
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Talk about a class act! Houston 📺 is going to miss my girl, @MelindaFox26 as she begins at @TexasSouthern Congrats beautiful @abc13houston pic.twitter.com/nUJeBwQs0g
— ginagaston (@ginagastonelie) August 19, 2017
