Archives: Staff Members

Gino was born and raised in Orange County, California and hasn’t ventured too far from home. He began in the news business in 1995 starting as a photographer and floor director for KMIR News. He got his break in 1997 when a weekend weather spot opened up at a KMIR. Gino then went on to […]

Sara Sanchez joined KMIR News in August 2017. A native of California’s Central Coast, Sara moved to the Coachella Valley from Billings, Montana. In Montana, she was part of a team that launched a statewide morning show, Wake Up Montana.

Mike Everett started his career in Central Florida and has a B.A. from the University of Central Florida in Radio and Television Broadcasting. He also holds a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from Mississippi State University and is a member of the National Weather Association.

Thalia Hayden anchors NBC’s Palm Springs Today from 5-7am, Mon-Fri. With 20 years in television news, Thalia is a veteran journalist on a mission to help American’s get healthy. She’s the station’s health reporter.  She frequently volunteers her time to emcee events, moderate panel discussions, sit on panels and speak in front of crowds on […]

A two-time Emmy Award winner who has been inducted into the Dayton (Ohio) Area Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Joe Smith is a respected broadcast journalist whose career has spanned the United States. Since joining the NBC Palm Springs news team, Smith has earned praise for his interviews with regional business leaders and entertainment icons including […]

From blizzards to hurricanes and now, earthquakes! A Wisconsin native, Jerry Steffen spent most of his professional career at WKMG-TV in Orlando before relocating to the Coachella Valley in December, 2009 to join KESQ. A student of the University of Wisconsin system and a Madison Media grad, Jerry fine tuned his meteorology skills at Embry-Riddle […]

Manny the Movie Guy has always had a passion for movies. His love of film criticism started while working for his school newspaper at Purdue University in Indiana. Upon graduation, Manny was offered a full-scholarship to complete his Post-Baccalaureate degree in Film at the School of the Arts Institute in Chicago. Currently, Manny is a member of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) where he votes for the yearly Critics Choice Awards. Manny the Movie Guy is a multiple Emmy-award winning film critic/host based in Palm Springs.

Kitty says she’s living her dream as a reporter. Her career as a hair and makeup artist took a major turn after the attacks of September 11, 2001 when she realized life was too short not to follow her passion. Kitty says she puts her heart into every story she reports and is honored to be entrusted telling the stories of those living and working in the Coachella Valley.

Sandie is an award winning journalist who began her career at KTTV in Los Angeles as cohost of PM Magazine. She continued her career in LA covering entertainment news for KCAL, hosted the award winning Hollywood Insider on USA Network and contributed to the long running HOUR Magazine, Breakaway, A Whole New You as well […]

Nico Payne joined NBC Palm Springs as a Multimedia Journalist in January 2020. A Southern California native, he began his career at CBS2/KCAL9 News in Los Angeles, CA where he spent five years mentoring under some of the best in the broadcast industry including Suzie Suh, Pat Harvey, and Paul Magers to name a few.

He later began his on-camera career as a weekday reporter and weekend anchor at KYMA in Yuma, Arizona.

Regina Yurrita is a bilingual multimedia journalist who joined the NBC Palm Springs and Univision Palm Springs team in May of 2019. She graduated from Cal State Fullerton where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications, emphasis in broadcast journalism. Regina has a strong passion for story-telling and is proud to be covering stories that are primarily, but not limited to the eastern Coachella Valley. 

Olivia joined the news team in February, 2020. Before coming to Palm Springs, she spent almost two years as a reporter and fill-in anchor for KETK and FOX 51 in Tyler, TX. There she covered a variety of stories from devastating tornadoes to political town halls. Olivia got a master of science in broadcast journalism from the University of Southern California. She also received a BA from the University of San Diego, where she was a division one softball player. Olivia is looking forward to returning to Southern California and sharing important stories with the desert community. 

Brandy is a passionate sports reporter/anchor. Before starting at NBC Palm Springs, she was a digital producer/host for Fox Sports covering the Angels, Clippers, Ducks and Kings. She also covered high school football in southern California as a sideline reporter for Fox Sports Prepzone. Brandy grew up in Hemet, CA and graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in broadcast journalism. She is very excited to share stories about the amazing athletes right here in the Coachella Valley.

Taylor Martinez joined the NBC Palm Springs team in November of 2018. She is currently the Digital Content Manager and Host, but you can also catch her every weekend on the Coachella Valley’s only locally produced Newsmagazine show, Weekly Rundown. Taylor is a proud Cal State Fullerton Alumni where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with an emphasis in Broadcast Journalism. Go Titans! Do you have a fun story to share with her for Weekly Rundown? Email her! She’s always open to share your fun stories, especially from around the Coachella Valley.