Joyce Garbaciak
Joyce Garbaciak is a respected journalist with a long career in Milwaukee TV. She has an insatiable quest for credible, objective, and impactful news in service to her audience. Her natural command of the anchor desk has earned her the respect of broadcast journalists across the country.
Joyce started as a reporter and anchor at WSAW-TV in Wausau after earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Her skills and work ethic quickly launched her to a station in Nashville, Tennessee and, in 1988, Milwaukee, where she would spend most of her career, first anchoring and reporting for WITI-TV and later with WISN-TV.
She is praised for her anchoring, reporting, and writing. Her skills as an interviewer are described as “unequalled.” She has covered countless high-profile stories, including an investigative series that led to a change in Wisconsin state law regarding the posting of code violations at childcare centers. She has been the recipient of Peabody, Emmy, and Murrow awards, as well as state and local honors. She is also involved in local charities and is a mentor to young journalists.
Joyce’s passion for accurate, balanced journalism serves an audience that has benefited in both tangible and intangible ways from her skills, dedication, and warm heart.
Joyce is one of my mentors and one of my favorite people I’ve ever worked with! She is more than deserving of this honor!
Thank you, John. I’m so proud of all of your success and especially proud that you called me a mentor. Keep shining.
I was assignment editor at Channel 7 in Wausau when Joyce came to work there. On her first day, she came in early, just in time for a major traffic crash on Highway 29. I said, “Hi! You must be Joyce! This is your photog Jeff Soellner. Go get this story.” Instead of a 20 second anchor voiceover, Joyce developed a pair of packages — one for six and the other for ten — with two different angles. If you had told me on day one that she was going to be in the WBA Hall of Fame, I would not have bet against you! Congrats on a well-deserved honor!
Dean — I will never forget that day — riding out with Gibby and telling him my plan and asking for his advice. He was so great to work with on Day 1. Just like you were. Thanks for all you did to make my introduction to TV news exciting and smooth. Your meticulous planning made our newsroom a well-oiled machine!