BEAUMONT, Texas —
The 12News Daybreak team is sad to say goodbye to longtime anchor, Tracy Kennick.
She signed of the air for the last time on 12News Daybreak on Good Friday morning, March 29, 2024, at 7 a.m.
She was joined by her daughters, former anchors Vanessa Broussard and Nick Canizales and her current co-anchor Tia Johnson and meteorologist Jeff Gerber at her side.
We'll miss her even though know we'll be seeing her from time to time in her new role at the City of Beaumont.
Kennick says she has been walking into the 12News studio for more than half her life and she's never tired of the job.
She's served the Southeast Texas community as a 12News anchor since 1996 after moving to Texas from Utah and will continue to serve the area in her new job.
For nearly 20 years she has greeted Southeast Texans each weekday morning on 12News Daybreak.
Kennick has accepted a position with the City of Beaumont as its senior manager of media and public relations. Her last day on the air on Daybreak will be Friday, March 29, 2024.
"It's a loss for 12News but a gain for the City of Beaumont as we move the city forward into the future," said news director, Ginny Sweeney. "We are excited to work with Tracy on the other side, but will definitely miss her presence in the newsroom. Thank you for 30 years of serving Southeast Texas."
Working in broadcast news is something Kennick decided she wanted to do as an 11-year-old in Utah.
Not long after she got the broadcast news bug, she started to work for her hometown newspaper and started reporting for TCI Cablevision.
While attending Brigham Young University, in Provo, Utah, she anchored her college newscast on KBYU. After college she landed her first job at KSL in Salt Lake City.
Kennick moved to Southeast Texas in February 1996 and started her career with 12News by anchoring "It’s 5 o’clock with Tracy Kennick" before quickly moving on to become the anchor of the 6 p.m. newscast.
In 2005, after her oldest child started school, she made the move to the Daybreak team so she could start her workday earlier and spend more time at home with her children during the day.
She found her niche on 12News Daybreak as she watched the show's ratings soar to number one.
"I have so enjoyed telling the stories of Southeast Texans. It has been my passion for over 30 years," Kennick said.
She tells us her new job will let her keep telling the stories of residents in the area's largest city.
"Thank you, Southeast Texas, for following my journey here and trusting me to tell your stories. I have truly loved every minute of it," she said.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.