Friday Edition of #MediaMonday – What’s New With Catherine Anaya

We featured Catherine Anaya back in April 2010 when she was full time into her anchoring career at CBS 5 News and very active in the local community.  And then life happened.  And Catherine made the decision to step down from the anchor desk and focus on her family.  But that didn’t mean she gave up on her career, it simply meant that she re-prioritized things.  And lucky for us, that means that we’re going to see her on the air again, as host of a new program on AZTV.

Our paths have crossed numerous times over the years, not only because of work but our involvement in charitable causes as well.  I reached out to her and asked her to give us an update on what’s been happening these past few years.  So we’re doing a special Friday Edition of #MediaMonday as Catherine’s new show debuts Monday, August 29.

I’m excited to return to television regularly as the host of a new weekday morning show called Arizona Daily Mix, premiering Monday Morning August 29th from 8-9am on AZTV (Channel 7 or on Cox cable it’s channel 13).

This is an opportunity for me to have the best of both worlds: keep my family a priority while hosting one-hour of live, fun and informative television with a mix of what’s important to you: community, family, feeling better, looking better, saving money and having fun.

I’ll get to continue taking my 13-year-old son to school in the morning, host an hour of television, do my other media work, pick my son up from school and have dinner at home with my family. How perfect is that?

I left the anchor desk last July after more than 12 years at CBS 5 News and 25-years as a news anchor to spend more time with my family. After the unexpected death of my ex-husband nearly two years ago, I knew I needed to be present for our children who needed me as a mom now more than ever. I have not had a single regret.

I started my own media company called 4Hearts Media, which kept me working part-time in front of the camera and on the radio as well as in the community as an emcee and speaker but still left me plenty of time to be a full-time mom and wife.

I also joined the Make-A-Wish Arizona board of directors and together with my children, established The Lats Legacy Foundation in memory of their dad, Dave. He was a former professional baseball player and his nickname was Lats. We met at the University of Southern California where he was a pitcher for the USC Trojans and I was a bat girl (yes, they did exist once!). When my daughter was accepted to USC (she just started her sophomore year there) our idea for keeping his legacy alive became crystal clear. We collaborated with USC to create the USC Lats Legacy Baseball Scholarship which will be awarded to Trojan baseball players who exemplify what Dave was known for at USC: leadership on the field and academic excellence off the field. We are currently fundraising and hope to award our first scholarship in the spring. I’m so proud of my children and how they are honoring their father. We’d love your support! Please consider donating by texting the word LATS to 71777 or via our website TheLatsLegacyFoundation.org.

Philanthropy has always been important to me. I have been fortunate and blessed to have an amazing family that inspires me to be a better person, an amazing career doing what I love and the ability to make a difference in this community I call home. Nearly six years ago I started a group called the Sisterhood of Super Women (Abbie is a part of it, too!). Every other month we get together for lunch, choose a charity or nonprofit to spotlight, learn about and support – while supporting each other and our collective passion for giving back.

I’m also a big believer in healthy living and after retiring from marathons four years ago, I returned to teaching spin which I absolutely love! If I’m not teaching my Saturday morning class at RPM Spin in Scottsdale, you’ll find me in a spin class sweating up a storm.

I still write occasional magazine columns and a personal blog which you can find on my website CatherineAnaya.com. I also just started a book about the journey my children and I have experienced with post-traumatic growth and learning to find meaning in death.

I’ve been married for three years to my incredible husband Doug who has supported me in every step of this journey. When we’re not spending time with our blended family of four children and our beloved dog Gunnar, you’ll find us enjoying each other – and a few glasses of red wine!