TOLEDO, Ohio — You may have seen a few new faces on the air and online here at WTOL 11 over the past couple of months.
We want to take a moment and introduce you to three relatively new folks: Anchor/reporter TaTiana Cash, First Alert Meteorologist Diane Phillips and multi-skilled journalist Michael Sandlin.
TATIANA CASH
TaTiana Cash says she is glad to be back home! Originally from Toledo, she grew up watching WTOL 11. TaTiana is a proud Notre Dame Academy Eagle alumna who went on to graduate from Xavier University in Cincinnati.
After graduation in 2012, she got a job as a production assistant at WLWT News 5, where she worked behind the scenes learning all she could on how to become an on-air reporter. After more than a year behind the scenes, she caught her big break … 19 hours away in North Dakota!
For her second job, TaTiana became the education reporter at KFYR-TV in Bismarck, North Dakota. She admits that dealing with 17 months of both wonderful summers and harsh winters was a wonderful and trying experience.
She then took the chance at a new job, and became the traffic anchor/reporter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at TMJ4. After four years and an Emmy Nomination for the morning news team, TaTiana wanted out of the snowy states.
Thus, in 2019, she got a job in Spartanburg/Greenville, South Carolina, working for WSPA as their morning reporter. After 10 months, she shifted to becoming their lead digital reporter. Then in 2020, she went back to their morning show as the station’s traffic anchor/reporter.
Between the pandemic, lock-downs, and finding time to get married, TaTiana decided in August 2021 it was time to go home. She found WTOL 11 as the best choice for both her and her family.
In her spare time, you catch TaTiana enjoying the outdoors with her two dogs and hubby. The small family loves road trips, eating out and bingeing Netflix, Hulu, and HBOMax series.
Feel free to recommend places to eat, hang out, and of course suggest story Ideas!
DIANE PHILLIPS
Diane joined WTOL 11 in June 2021 as a First Alert meteorologist. You can catch her mainly on WTOL 11 Your Day and WTOL 11 at Noon.
Diane originally is from Lenawee County, and she grew up watching Toledo news. However, watching local meteorologists was not how she found her interest in weather. In middle school, during the weather segment, the school would forecast snow days.
"I loved snow days in school, and I wanted to know when there was the chance for a day off. That sparked my interest in meteorology. In 2018, I graduated from Central Michigan University with my bachelor's degree in meteorology and a minor in mathematics," Diane said.
While at CMU, she forecast the weather for the campus TV station, News Central 34. Before graduating, she completed an internship with WLNS-TV6 in Lansing.
"I worked at WLNS-TV 6 News for three years as the weekend meteorologist. I also led a segment called, "Weather Wednesday" where I would dive deep into weather-related topics," Diane said. "There I won numerous Michigan Association of Broadcasters and Associated Press awards. Recently, I was nominated for an Emmy award for coverage of a severe storm."
In 2021, Diane was awarded my seal from the American Meteorological Society, making her a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and traveling. Being from Michigan, Diane also love playing euchre and pinochle.
11 Things to Know about Diane:
- Favorite Food: Tacos
- Favorite Dessert: Brownies
- Favorite Sports Team: Detroit Tigers
- Favorite Place in the viewing area: Fifth Third Field...for now.
- Favorite Music: Country and pop
- Favorite Streaming Service: Disney+
- Favorite Theme Park: Walt Disney World
- Most interesting story you've covered: Storm damage after summer thunderstorms damaged homes and trees.
- Other places you've lived: Mount Pleasant, MI and Lansing, MI
- She knows how to play the flute
- She knows how to knit
MICHAEL SANDLIN
Michael was born in Toledo in 1996, growing up in the area until he was 5, when his family moved to Washington D.C.
While there, Michael frequented D.C.’s museums and historical sites, developing an insatiable curiosity that he still carries to this day. He and his family returned to Ohio in 2008, and Michael graduated from Anthony Wayne High school in 2015 and the University of Toledo in 2021.
Michael currently resides in north Toledo, proudly telling stories for WTOL 11 in the part of the country he calls home.
