Ozarks Profile

News anchor, KOLR-TV. Came to Springfield in June 1997 as the 5 p.m. news anchor/producer and 6 p.m. co-anchor. In February 1998, Robertson became an anchor on the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. news broadcasts.

Age: 34.

No. of years in Springfield/area: Just over one year.

Education: Russellville High School, Russellville, Ark. Received a BA in communications from the University of Arkansas in 1986; received an MA in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Early career: In high school and college, Robertson worked summers at her Dad's dental office. "I set up impressions for dentures, prepared amalgam fillings, processed X-ray film, held the little vacuum tube in patients' mouths while Dad drilled, and squirted pretty much everyone with the little water shooter," she said. After college graduation, she began working in Russellville at a very small TV production studio where "I learned a lot and got paid whenever the boss had some extra cash," she said. Later she worked for an independent video producer based in Morrilton, Ark., then landed a job in the production department at Storer Cable (now Comcast) in Little Rock. "At Storer, our four-person department handled all the local commercial insertion on something like 16 different cable channels in Little Rock and North Little Rock. ... I particularly enjoyed shooting film and arranging audio music and voice soundtracks at some of the Little Rock audio production houses. When then-Governor Bill Clinton announced his plans to run for president, we would shoot his speeches and interviews and send them to C-Span for air," Robertson said. One of the projects she was very proud of ran on Arkansas' PBS station, AETN. It was a 30-minute program about the governor and first lady's annual "High School Day," which honored Arkansas' valedictorians and salutatorians. Robertson said she found the governor and first lady to be "extremely friendly, and completely professional." Finally, in 1991, "my insatiable appetite for news got the best of me and I applied to MU's School of Journalism," Robertson said. She was turned down the first time, but tried again, using her same application and essay, and "lo and behold, I was accepted," she said. She began in January 1992 and finished in May 1993. Her first job thereafter was as a reporter at KMIZ-TV in Columbia. Within about a month she was anchoring and producing morning cut-ins. About three months later she became the 10 p.m. anchor. In April of 1995, she took a job as weeknight co-anchor at KXJB-TV in Fargo, N.D. "After the two worst winters I've ever seen in my entire life, I found myself closer to home, thank goodness," Robertson said.

Current projects: A special news series for later in November. Nov. 13 and 14, she is to be the host of the Messiah Project's annual "Holiday Prelude" at Hammons Hall.

Management philosophy: Spent years observing other managers' styles and techniques, and "if I ever find myself in a management position, I'll certainly know what not to do. The good things I've learned I hope to carry with me," Robertson said.

Spare-time pursuits: Movies, reading, channel surfing, playing on the Internet and keeping up with friends around the world. She and her husband have traveled a lot, and like to make road trips to see their families.

Family data: Married to Vernie Fountain for two years this December. The two have no children, but have two "awesome mutts," Pedo and Crackers.

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