Communiqué
Youngstown Morning Anchor Duo Share WOUB and Ohio University
< < Back toSteve Vesey and Christa Lamendola
ATHENS, OH – If you turn on the morning show at WFMJ in Youngstown, there’s a special chemistry and connection between the two anchors. Steve Vesey and Christa Lamendola say that comes from the fact that they both graduated from Ohio University and worked at WOUB Public Media.
“We could sense the green and white in each other,” said Vesey. “How could you not have a WOUB story to share?”
“It was the first thing we talked about,” said Lamendola. “It was an immediate friendship.”
Even though they bonded over their time in Athens and at WOUB, Vesey and Lamendola did not go to school at Ohio University at the same time. Vesey graduated in 2004, while Lamendola graduated in 2014.
“I grew up in Vienna, Ohio near Youngstown and I thought I wanted to go into broadcasting, but wasn’t sure,” said Vesey. “I started at Ohio University as a marketing major but got through two business classes and realized I had no interest. I transferred into the journalism school and started working at WOUB.”
Vesey worked in the sports department. He started on the radio and moved his way into television. During his senior year he was asked to anchor both sports and news on WOUB’s nightly television program, NewsWatch.
“I was anchoring news two days a week and sports two days a week,” said Vesey. “The amount of experience I was getting as a student was incredible.”
Vesey’s first job after graduation was as a weekend sports anchor in Elmira, New York. He was eventually promoted to sports director. After eight years there, Vesey took a sports job at the CBS affiliate in Buffalo, New York. But, in 2015, he wanted to come home and accepted a position at WFMJ.
Lamendola grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She wanted to go to college at a place with a strong broadcast journalism program and Ohio University stood out.
“During my campus tour, we looked at WOUB,” said Lamedola. “I knew I was going to work there.”
Lamendola worked in the newsroom and anchored weather on NewsWatch. She even got a meteorology minor while in school.
“I got the minor, but never ended up doing weather in my career,” Lamendola laughed.
Her first job out of college was in Lansing, Michigan. After about a year and a half there, she applied for the job at WFMJ, which, like Vesey, brought her closer to home.
“WOUB helped launch my career because of the easy transfer of skills,” said Lamendola. “All the equipment I used at WOUB was the same as I used in the professional world and that was so valuable. I have worked with other reporters who didn’t have that kind of experience. To be able to have the opportunity to learn those skills while in college was tremendous.”
“WOUB works just like any other newsroom,” said Vesey. “It was exactly how things were going to be once we graduated. My experience with programs like Gridiron Glory was invaluable. There was such an energy and passion that so many put into it behind the scenes to make the show work every single week, and I have strived to replicate that since. I knew the possibilities and the awesome product that could be put out. We had the freedom to learn and grow along with an accountability to a community and audience. It was amazing.”