SPOKANE, Wash. — It was the summer of 2015 when then News Director, Noah Cooper, first called me about the prospect of moving to Spokane to anchor for KREM. Long-time anchor, Randy Shaw was retiring and KREM was looking for someone to step in and fill his shoes. At the time I was working for KGW in Portland, my kids were 2 and 3 years old and my wife was teaching in Beaverton. Our lives were busy, and we were settled. But we took a leap of faith, sold our house, and moved to eastern Washington.
Shortly after we arrived, I took Randy out to dinner to get some insight into what the job REALLY entailed. I wanted his advice on how to be successful in a region where he’d had so much success. Randy’s response was simple. “Don’t worry, Mark. You have the most beloved weatherman in the history of the Inland Northwest working alongside you,” he said. “You’ll be fine.”
At the time I had no idea how true those words were. I quickly learned. Tom was BORN to be on TV. His personality is infectious. He’s authentic. He cares about our product. And, most of all, he cares about his team. Tom’s success speaks for itself. Readers have voted him the best TV Weather Person 27 years in a row in the Inlander Newspaper’s Best of issue. He’s undefeated since 1995.
If you need more proof of his popularity, just go out on the town with the guy and watch how many people stop him to say “hi,” to shake his hand or give him a hug. It’s like being out with Elvis. Whenever I tell people where I work, Tom’s the first person they mention. He’s larger than life.
For the last six-and-a-half years, I’ve been lucky enough to have a front-row seat to it all. Tom’s been there to pick me up when I was struggling, and I’d like to think I did the same for him. This job is deadline-driven and often very stressful. Tom always has a way of making those situations better, often with a joke or just by offering some perspective.
We’ve spent countless commercial breaks talking about life, parenting, politics, music, and just about everything else. It’s those moments that I cherish the most. They’re also the moments that I’ll miss the most.
Life has a funny way of taking you in different directions. My career’s taken to me to five TV stations in four different states. Thank goodness my path brought me to KREM. I got to work with one of the BEST in the business; someone whose impact on this community is unparalleled.
Thank you for all the laughs and support, Tom. You’ve had a huge impact on me and my career. You’ve been an awesome colleague and an even better friend. May your retirement be filled with just as much fun and far fewer deadlines.
