Julie Hays Biography
Julie Hays is an American Emmy-award-winning Reporter/Anchor/Producer/Host working with KWTX-TV where she has been working since the year 2002. There, she serves the station as an anchor for the “Midday with Julie” Show every weekday at noon.
Julie Hays Career
Hays works with KWTX-TV where she has served in several positions in the newsroom since the year 2002. She is loved for her expertise and commitment to family and community where she uses her platform to make a positive difference in the lives of Central Texans.
Hays joined the station working as an overnight producer and also has experience working as a reporter, weekend producer, evening anchor, morning and noon anchor, and evening producer, a position she has held for over 10 years. She made a change in the year 2017 and went on to anchor “Midday with Julie” which airs on weekdays at noon. This has allowed her to have more time with her family. Additionally, she enjoys reporting positive stories from around Central Texas in the popular “Tell Me Something Good” segment on News 10 at 5.
She has covered many big stories during her tenure at KWTX. Additionally, she also recently led the “Baylor Fallout” coverage following the Pepper Hamilton investigation into Title IX shortcomings in the year 2016. Through her work on this ongoing story, she received two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and two Emma awards through the Lone Star Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Additionally, she also received three first-place Texas Associated Press Broadcasters awards and a prestigious Charles E. Green Award by the Headliners Foundation of Texas for Excellence in Journalism for spot news coverage of the event.
Life-Changing Coverage
Her work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Waco helped keep the doors open as she chaired its most successful fundraiser to date. Additionally, she also helped bring Jessica Simpson to Waco in order to raise money for the struggling club.
The year 2017 saw her help lead the effort to have a home built for an area firefighter paralyzed in a freak off-duty accident. With her efforts on the firefighter’s behalf, the Waco Department made her an honorary firefighter and also presented her with an award that includes her own fire helmet, personalized with her name.
Hays reported the story of a local girl’s efforts to get a potentially life-saving, but expensive drug. This news coverage contributed to an insurance company overturning its original decision to deny coverage of the drug. Additionally, the girl’s family said Julie’s determination to follow the story not only gave their daughter hope but also led to the young girl being selected as the MDA’s Ambassador for the year.
Julie has been able to connect with people landing her multiple exclusive interviews with everyone from everyday heroes to leaders of the free world. She has also conducted the first sit-down with ex-coach Dave Bliss following the Baylor 2003 basketball scandal. Her reporting in the saga landed her as an interviewee in the documentary “Disgraced” which aired on Showtime.
The year 2010 saw her being the only local television reporter to travel to New York City where she was interviewing RG3 following the Heisman Trophy winner. Additionally, she also coordinated the Superbowl commercial which featured the KWTX news team alongside NFL Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Mike Singletary.
Julie Hays & Bush’s Family and Awards/Recognitions
She has had more than a dozen encounters with former president George W. Bush. This includes being invited to the White House for one of his financial interviews while in office. Additionally, she attended Bush’s Wounded Warriors bike ride at his Crawford-area ranch multiple years and got an exclusive interview with Bush during his book tour stop in Waco. This is in addition to airing the opening o McLane Stadium.
Laura Bush has also sat down exclusively with Julie on multiple occasions. The year 2017 saw Hays being granted the only one-on-one interview with twin daughters Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush-Hager as they penned a best-selling book. Additionally, the year 2018 saw her emcee the “Go Red for Women” Luncheon alongside Jenna Bush, an honor she has with Laura Bush at the same event in the year 2014.
Asides from the Edward R. Murrow awards, she has received several other media accolades which include the statewide media honor roll for her education reporting twice and the large market media award from the Texas Farm Bureau for her interest in agriculture.
Additionally, she has also been named the Locals Love Us “Best News Personality” seven-time, the Wacoan’s “Top On-Air Personality” three times, and the Waco Tribune Herald’s “Top News personality.” Additionally, she also received the Copperas Cove Leader Press’ “Best Personality” Reader’s Choice Award multiple times and was also voted “Best TV News Anchor” by the Belton Journal.
Julie Hays Community Involvement
Her love for sports extends beyond her role as a co-host of the Emmy-award-winning Baylor Gameday football show which was airing across six states to her role as a coach for multiple youth sporting teams. Away from work, she enjoys emceeing or assisting organizations. Among these organizations includes Waco’s Talitha Koum Institute, the American Cancer Society, and Fuzzy Friends Animal Rescue.
Julie Hays Age
Hays was born on 16th March 1981. She is 43 years old.
Julie Hays Height
Hays’s height is not yet disclosed.
Julie Hays Family
Hays has managed to keep her personal life away from the limelight hence she has not disclosed any information about her parents. It is also not known if Hays has any siblings.
Julie Hays Husband
Julie is married to Sam. She spends more time with her husband, Sam, and their three children, Callie, John, and Natalie. She also enjoys reporting positive stories from around Central Texas in News 10 at 5’s popular “Tell Me Something Good” segment.
Callie was born on 14th April 2011. She is 13 years old. John was born on 1st March 2013 and is 11 years old. Natalie was born on 22nd March 2014 and is 10 years old.
Julie Hays Net Worth
Hays has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 Million – $5 Million which she has earned through being a journalist.
Julie Hays Salary
Hays earns an annual salary ranging between $40,000 – $ 110,500.
Julie Hays KWTX-TV
Hays works at KWTX-TV where she works alongside other famous KWTX-TV anchors, reporters, meteorologists, and sports anchors including;
- Jacqueline Policastro
- Ted Fioraliso
- Timothy Knapp
- Karen Daborowsk
- Jon Decker
- Darby Brown
- Elliott Wilson
- Brady Taylor
- Camille Hoxworth
- Rusty Garrett
- Sean Bellafiore
- Eric Franklin
- Royden Ogletree
- Ke’Sha Lopez
- Pete Sousa
- Justin Earley