Advisory Council
Donna Bell, TEL 1994
Morning/Noon Anchor
WJHG-TV (NBC), Panama City
Donna Bell anchors the two hour morning news program, "Newschannel 7 Today," and "Newschannel 7 at Noon." She also focuses on issues concerning today's parents as NewsChannel 7's Family First reporter.
Donna was born in San Antonio, Texas to Retired Army Col. Pete and Jane Bell of Gainesville, Florida. She has three brothers, Jerry, Eric, and Brett. She married her husband, Dirk, a local business owner, in 1996. Donna and Dirk are the proud parents of two sons.
Donna's been with WJHG since June, 1994. She started as a reporter, after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast News from the University of Florida. She now works with broadcasting students as a member of UF's Dept. of Telecommunication Advisory Council.
Donna has received several awards for reporting, including placing second in the nation in the Hearst Broadcast News competition in San Francisco. She has also won several AP awards for news coverage, and she was selected to travel to Germany in a special German-American journalist exchange program. She has also been awarded for several years as a favorite media personality in the NewsHerald's "Best of Bay" Readers Choice awards.
Donna's experience reporting includes covering several presidential visits to Northwest Florida, numerous hurricanes and tropical storms that have hit the Gulf Coast, and flying with the Air Force Thunderbirds in an F-16.
In her free time, Donna focuses on her family. She loves traveling, drawing and painting, and spending time with her family and friends.
The Campaign for the University of Florida