Where Are They Now?

Every day you welcome them into your home to deliver the latest news.  You may see their familiar faces for years, or even decades—and then one day- poof!- they are gone.  Recently The Ticker tracked down and caught up with some former TV personalities to see ‘Where Are They Now?’

Dave Fortin (7&4 Weathercaster/Reporter 1964-2006)
Dave Fortin worked at TV 7&4 for more than 40 years before retiring in 2006.  During the summers, you can still find Fortin and his wife in Traverse City where they are either boating or camping.  But once the snow comes, they head south to Bradenton, Florida.  In the Sunshine State, Fortin enjoys singing, acting, and hanging out at the beach—where he says one Northern Michigan viewer came up to him and said, “I wondered what happened to you.”

Stacey Skrysak (7&4 Anchor/9&10 Reporter (2006-2009)
For more than three years, Northern Michigan woke up with Stacey Skrysak, the co-anchor of  7&4 News Today.  After leaving 7&4, she worked briefly as a reporter at 9&10 before heading west.  Skrysak is now an anchor/reporter at KTRV in Boise, Idaho.  It’s been a busy year two years for Skrysak, who not only got a new job and moved, but also got married.  (NOTE: Former 7&4 Anchor Adam Bartelmay is now at the same station).

Steve Dunn (7&4 Anchor 1982-1984)
After leaving Traverse City in 1984, Dunn had a short stint at WILX in Lansing before heading to Arizona where he was worked as an anchor at KGUN in Tucson.  A year and a half later, he packed his bags and landed at KATU in Portland, Oregon where he currently anchors four evening newscasts.  Dunn says he misses everything about Traverse City, especially the water, and recently returned Up North for a visit.

Kristin Palmer (7&4 Anchor 2002-2006)
Along with being recognized as a TV anchor, Palmer also became well known around Traverse City when she became the first mom to deliver quadruplets at Munson Medical Center in September 2005.  A year later, she and her husband and four girls moved to Denver to be closer to family.  Palmer is now primarily a stay-at-home mom, but she also finds time to work a part time retail job and mentor other women expecting triplets or quadruplets.

Kimberly Purdy (9&10 Reporter/Anchor 1996-2009)
After more than a decade of working at 9&10, Purdy decided to take a break from TV.  Last year she was hired as the Public Relations Manager (now Director) for Special Olympics Michigan.  Along with handling everything media (including website, newsletters, and Facebook page,) Purdy travels with the Team Michigan delegation.  Her recent trip took her to Lincoln, Nebraska.  She spends most of the week in Mt. Pleasant, and returns to Traverse City on the weekends

Pallas Hupe (7&4 Anchor 1996-1999)
In 1996 Hupe was anchor of the newly launched “First at Five” news at TV 7&4.  Three years later she moved to Detroit when her husband got a new job.  Since leaving Traverse City, Hupe had another child and had several on air jobs in the Detroit area (including co-anchoring one of the first dual-female main anchor teams in the nation).  Just over four years ago, Hupe and her family moved to Sacramento, California where she is the main anchor at KOVR.  Hupe says she misses Traverse City and hopes one day to retire Up North. 

Do you have a favorite TV personality that you would love to know ‘Where Are They Now?’  Send us an e-mail and we’ll try and track them down.