Mitch Jelniker came home to Colorado when he joined 7NEWS as weekend news anchor in July 1995.

He was raised in Longmont and is a graduate of Colorado State University.

As main anchor at an Oklahoma City station at the time of the federal building bombing in 1995, Mitch has a unique perspective on the tragedy. Mitch broke the story on the bombing trials moving to Denver. He is also one of a handful of journalists nationwide who covered this story continuously from the day of the explosion. Mitch was awarded two Regional Emmy awards for his coverage of the story -- one for Best Anchor and another for Live News.

Mitch also writes the weekly 7Everyday Hero stories that highlight outstanding volunteers. The program was started in January 1999 and has featured a new hero story every week since then. Mitch has been awarded two Regional Emmy awards and a Colorado Broadcasting award for his work on this program.

Nearly 25 years of reporting experience have enabled Mitch to cover such stories as the Columbine tragedy, San Francisco earthquake of 1989, the Los Angeles riots, the Clarence Thomas hearings and Hurricane Andrew in Florida and Louisiana.

Mitch often finds himself in unusual places while covering stories, for instance:

• in the cockpit of a C5-A Transport plane
• onboard the Goodyear and Budweiser blimps
• strapped to a 1,500-foot TV tower
• on the Berlin Wall
• in the eye of a hurricane
• in a burning house
• in a nuclear submarine
• on a real cattle drive
• on the top of Denver's D&F Clock Tower
• inside the air ducts of the Eisenhower Tunnel
• inside a Federal Reserve bank vault

Mitch's hobbies include mountain biking, skiing and camping. He is married and the father of two children.

EXPERIENCE:

1995 KMGH 7NEWS
Denver
Anchor/Reporter

1982 KWTV
Oklahoma City
Anchor/Reporter

EDUCATION:
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colo.
B. A. Journalism

"I have the best job in town ... I'm paid to learn."

Send e-mail to Mitch Jelniker

More Information:

To read an interview that Mitch did with Black Tie Colorado, go to Blacktie-Colorado.com.