Nelson Garcia is the Assistant News Director at 9NEWS in Denver, Colorado.
Nelson joined the 9NEWS team in November 2005.
After leaving CU in 1992, Nelson has always had the goal of coming back to what he considers the most beautiful state in the country. He says the opportunity to work at 9NEWS is literally a dream come true. He says, "The professionalism, the photography, and the passion at 9NEWS is something that few stations, if any, nationwide can match."
Nelson came to 9NEWS for WCCO-TV in Minneapolis where he spent five years. He worked the last three as their Education Reporter, before that he worked general news. Other than covering blizzards in minus-90 degree weather, Nelson provided extensive coverage of the controversial wrestler-turned-governor Jesse Ventura and the horrific shootings at Red Lake High School in 2005.
Prior to his time in the "Great White North," Nelson worked at WIS-TV in Columbia, South Carolina where he covered the city beat and was there for such events as the lowering of the Confederate Flag on the South Carolina Statehouse and the trial of KKK for burning African-American Churches.
Nelson also worked in Terre Haute, Indiana and at KOMU-TV in another Columbia -- this time in Missouri.
Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Nelson attended CU for two years before getting his degree in journalism at the University of Missouri. "I hated to leave CU, but my parents weren't too happy that I spent nearly as much time in the back bowls of Vail as I did in the classroom," says Nelson.
Now, he spends nearly every day in the classroom as our Education Reporter.
Nelson credits his wife, Lisa, an educator for the last 12 years, as being his inspiration and fuel behind his dedication to covering an issue that affects families all across Colorado. "But, the bottom line for me is that I just love to tell good stories," says Nelson. "There a great things happening all around the state in our schools and it's my job to find them and bring them to the viewers."
Nelson and Lisa live in Lakewood with their two young daughters and two crazy dogs. When he's not skiing, Nelson loves camping, hiking, basketball, softball, and tennis.
His motto in life is, "If you want to be a great person, you must do great things. If you want to do great things, you must never be afraid to try or to fail."
nelson.garcia@9news.com
303-871-1823
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