Hi! I’m Terri.
I’m a wife, mom, grandmother, author, trailblazer, and trusted meteorologist who proudly served West Michigan families for more than three decades. I was born into a military family at Fort Dix Army Base in New Jersey while my father was stationed at nearby McGuire Air Force Base. Growing up, my family experienced firsthand the sacrifices made by the brave men and women who serve our country. During my childhood, my father was deployed to Greenland, Vietnam, and Germany, taking our family from New Jersey to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and eventually to Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana.
After graduating from high school, my search for the right career path led me to broadcast journalism, where I discovered a passion for creating informative, educational, and entertaining stories for the communities I served. After working as a news reporter in Green Bay, Wisconsin and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, I moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1990 to join WWMT-TV. It was there that the “winds of change” arrived in both my personal and professional life — I met and married my husband Bill and began studying meteorology.
In 1992, I transitioned from news to weather and helped launch West Michigan’s first weekend morning newscast. I loved helping families prepare for the day ahead — whether that meant sunshine, storms, or something in between. In 1995, I joined WOOD-TV, where I spent the next twenty-eight years guiding West Michigan families through historic weather events like the 1998 Derecho and the 2022 snow-mageddon. After a brief break to focus on family and other pursuits, I returned to the green screen at FOX-17 in 2024.
While many West Michigan families know me as the trusted voice helping them decide between sunglasses and an umbrella, the broadcasting industry recognized me as a trailblazer for women in meteorology. In 1996, I became the first woman in Michigan to earn the American Meteorological Society’s Television Seal of Approval. In 2022, I was honored to be inducted into the Michigan Emmy Silver Circle for more than twenty-five years of service and impact in broadcasting and community leadership.
Throughout my career, giving back to the community has always been deeply important to me. I served for decades on the Board of Directors for the Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, helping create the “Be Nice” initiative, and I continue to serve on the Grand Rapids Griffins Youth Foundation board. At the invitation of the late Ambassador Peter Secchia, I also served on the Millennium Park Commission, helping shape a West Michigan treasure future generations will enjoy. I’ve also served on the board of the Education Freedom Fund and volunteered with organizations including the American Heart Association, Faith Hospice, Special Olympics, Make-A-Wish, and many others.
Bill and I have been married for thirty-four years, and together we’ve raised three children and welcomed five grandchildren. I’m also a woman of faith. While raising our family, I taught Sunday School and Catechism and served as a GEMS leader at our church. My children and grandchildren are the reason I’m running for Congress.
One of my earliest political inspirations came during my senior year at Charles M. Russell High School, when I had the honor of serving in the Honor Guard during President Ronald Reagan’s visit in 1982. His words still resonate with me today: “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” That truth feels more urgent now than ever before. From out-of-control debt and rising inflation to dangerous border policies and growing foreign threats, there are serious storms on the horizon that threaten the opportunities and freedoms of future generations.
