CONGRATULATING PAULA FRANCIS

HON. DEAN HELLER

OF NEVADA

IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE

March 3, 2016

Mr. HELLER. Mr. President, today, I wish to congratulate Paula Francis on her retirement after bringing the great state of Nevada accurate and reliable news coverage for the last 30 years. Ms. Francis was an important icon in Nevada journalism, bringing local residents nightly news at 5, 6, and 11 p.m. Her passionate and in-depth coverage of southern Nevada’s news will be sorely missed.

Ms. Francis’ career began in Madison, Wisconsin, immediately after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1985, she moved to Las Vegas, beginning her experience in broadcast journalism for southern Nevada at KTNV. In 1988, Ms. Francis joined KLAS’s news team, initially starting her extended tenure with the news station as a health reporter. After proving to be an invaluable resource to the news team, she moved into the anchor chair. During her time on air, Ms. Francis placed a special emphasis on health care issues, familiarizing viewers with important health information, in addition to bringing southern Nevada breaking news coverage. Throughout her tenure, Ms. Francis was recognized as “Best TV Anchor in Las Vegas” by Las Vegas Review Journal readers more than 15 times and was inducted into the Nevada Broadcaster’s Association hall of Fame and the KLAS TV Hall of Fame. Ms. Francis went above and beyond in her ambitions to bring Nevadans up-to-date and truthful news coverage. The accolades she has received are awarded to only the greatest of Nevada journalists, and without a doubt, she deserves each one. 

For the past 30 years, Ms. Francis has been a tremendous contributor to southern Nevada journalism. Her commitment to the local community is without question, creating a great amount of trust between the viewers and the station. She stands as a role model to journalists across Nevada with her unwavering dedication to familiarizing herself with the local issues. The knowledge she gained throughout her tenure is irreplaceable to the newsroom. Ms. Francis’ legacy both at KLAS and within Nevada journalism will be felt for years to come.

Outside of her career, Ms. Francis continues to be highly involved in a number of activities for the betterment of the local community. She is a founding member of the Nevada Chapter of the International Women’s Forum and serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Shade Tree Endowment Fund. She has also received numerous humanitarian awards for her efforts and spearheaded Buddy Check 8, a campaign to increase breast cancer awareness. I extend my deepest gratitude for her all of her efforts on behalf of the Silver State.

I ask my colleagues and all Nevadans to join me in thanking Ms. Francis for her tireless dedication to bringing southern Nevada excellent news coverage and in congratulating her on her retirement. I wish her well in all of her future endeavors.