ABC7 Chicago Vice President of News Jennifer Graves retiring after over 20 years in role
Graves has been integral part of ABC7 Chicago news leadership team for more than 32 years, held her current role for over 22 years
CHICAGO (WLS) -- After over 20 years in the role, vice president of news for ABC7 Chicago, Jennifer Graves, is retiring, ABC7 Chicago President and General Manager John Idler announced Tuesday.
Graves has been an integral part of the ABC7 Chicago news leadership team for more than 32 years, and held her current role for over 22 years.
Her final day at the station is planned for late June.
"Jennifer Graves' reputation for journalistic excellence has made her one of the most influential news leaders in Chicago for more than three decades. Her news judgement, a passionate commitment to fairness and tireless work ethic are her legacy. These attributes have contributed to ABC 7 long-standing position as Chicago's No. 1 News," Idler said. "We want to acknowledge her unwavering dedication and her commitment to keeping Chicagoland viewers at the forefront of everything we do. We can't thank her enough and wish her nothing but the best."
Graves directs the station's 24/7 news coverage for all on-air and digital platforms, overseeing everything from breaking news and major event coverage to political debates, half-hour news specials and day-to-day news planning.
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During her tenure, Graves helped position ABC7 as Chicago's trusted news source year after year, winning the top spot in ratings, while also winning accolades and awards from journalism organizations. ABC7 has been honored with multiple regional Emmy Awards, Peter Lisagor Awards, multiple Associated Press Awards, as well as a National Emmy Award for investigative news reporting and numerous awards from the Illinois Broadcasters Association.
"It's been the honor of my career to work with the talented journalists in the ABC 7 Chicago newsroom and chronicle the history of the Chicago area. Thirty-two years have gone by in a flash, and I'll leave with a lifetime of memories and more friendships than I can count," Graves said.
Graves joined ABC7 in 1992 as an executive news producer, and served as assistant news director from 1998-2001. In 2001, she was promoted to vice president of news, the position she currently holds. Before joining ABC7, Graves was at WAGA-TV News in Atlanta from 1988-1992. Prior to that, she worked as a producer at KSDK-TV in St. Louis.
Graves is a member of the Radio Television Digital News Association and The Chicago Network, a women's business leadership organization. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor's degree in journalism.
