Paul Gerke became a part of the WBKB team in April, 2011. Before starting at Channel 11, Paul spent four years working at WJRT (ABC12) in Flint. He graduated from The University of Michigan-Flint in 2010, majoring in Communications with a focus on Media Studies.

Paul has been working in television since he was a sophomore in high school, where he got his first on-air experience on Davison High School’s public access TV station. Under the tutelage of former WBKB anchor Jason Carr and WJRT/WXYZ photographer Randy Scott, Paul won numerous awards for his work with DTV.  It is there that his passion for sports journalism was first discovered, which led him to the Production Department at WJRT. During his time at ABC12, Paul and a fellow co-worker created, produced, filmed, wrote, edited, and hosted their own show, “Highlight Zone Jr.,” which focused on local youth sports. The program ran 3 episodes a week during newscasts, and also boasted a weekly 8-10 minute online component.

Paul has also worked extensively in other media. He hosted radio shows for Flint Talk Radio and Grand Valley’s WCKS, and penned columns for The Michigan Times and the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Paul also co-created and wrote for his own humor website, which at one point was averaging over 30,000 hits per day.

In his spare time, he enjoys his membership at the Bay Athletic Club, playing NHL 11 on XBOX 360, and watching sports (of course). He is a die-hard Red Wings and Lions fan. If you would like to recommend coverage of a local sporting event, or reach Paul for any other reason, you can do so at WBKBSports@wbkb11.com.

Jeff Schaffer came to WBKB in April of 2011. Before arriving Alpena he worked in Bristol, Connecticut as an ESPN production assistant. He graduated from Ohio University in June, 2009 with a degree in broadcast journalism.

After working for his high school newspaper and television program, Jeff confirmed he wanted to enter sports broadcasting after heading to college. He worked for four years at WOUB, a PBS affiliate in Athens, Ohio, as a sports reporter, anchor and producer. He reported for “Gridiron Glory,” a local high school football highlight show that won a regional Emmy Award in 2006. During his time in Athens, Jeff also served as a radio broadcaster for Ohio Bobcats hockey and a coach for local youth hockey teams. With ESPN he worked on productions of several events, including the Little League World Series, Winter X Games, and women’s NCAA basketball tournament.
 
When he’s not out covering local sports, Jeff enjoys playing and watching sports, particularly hockey. He’s a proud fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Atlanta Falcons, and his alma mater’s Bobcats. If you have a story idea, question, comment, or just want to get in touch with Jeff, feel free to e-mail him at wbkbsports@wbkb11.com.

Christy joined WBKB in May 2011. She comes to us from Buffalo, New York, making her no stranger of the winter weather here in Northeast Michigan

Before starting at Channel 11, Christy attended St. Bonaventure University in Olean, NY. She graduated in May, 2011, with a degree in Journalism/Mass Communications. Christy is the fourth St. Bonaventure graduate to work at Channel 11 in the past four years.

Christy’s broadcast experience began in college at St. Bonaventure’s campus news station, SBU-TV, where she was an anchor and reporter. She also interned in the news departments at YNN Buffalo (2010-2011) and WKBW/Channel 7 News Buffalo (2008-09). During college, she received the Koop Award, which is awarded to a senior who shows exceptional promise in the broadcast field.
 

Christy is excited to be a part of the WBKB team, and wants to hear from you. If you want to get in touch with Christy, e-mail her at Christya@wbkb11.com. You can also follow her on twitter at @christyandrzej.

Vanessa joined WBKB in December 2011. She was born and raised in the Detroit area, and is happy to be in her home state. Vanessa attended Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and graduated in May 2011 with a degree in Broadcast & Cinematic Arts, and a Journalism minor.

She had three internships during her college career, the first in sports radio. She worked closely with Detroit sports teams doing interviews, and assisted the production of the Sean Baligian "It Is What It Is" Show. She then went into television, and worked in the news departments at WJBK Fox 2 News in Southfield, MI, and WNEM TV 5 in Saginaw, MI.

Vanessa is very excited to be a part of the WBKB team. If you want to get in touch with her, you can e-mail her at vanessa@wbkb11.com.