I have proudly called WBIR and East Tennessee home since joining the 10 News team in September 2008. In that time I've worked primarily as a general assignment reporter and photographer in addition to starting the "Why do they call it that?" series that researches the local history of East Tennessee towns and landmarks. Some of these reports have been lucky enough to garner awards from the Tennessee AP and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Prior to joining WBIR, I spent three years reporting in Columbia, MO, while I completed my master's degree at the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. During graduate school I worked for KOMU-TV (NBC), ABC News in New York City as a Carnegie Fellow with the Brian Ross Investigative Team, and also worked as a reporter/producer for NPR affiliate KBIA-FM. In 2008 I was fortunate enough to win an Emmy Award for my report on a U.S. World War II veteran's attempt to return a Japanese flag he stole from a prisoner of war during battle in the Philippines.
I was born and raised in Zebulon, North Carolina, and completed my undergraduate degree in communications from East Carolina University in 1999. I met my wife, Ellen, at ECU and have been blessed to have her by my side ever since.
Although my primary allegiance remains with my beloved ECU Pirates and Mizzou Tigers, my wife and I now say "we" when referring to the Vols. She completed her master's at UT and is now in the process of obtaining her Ph.D. There's plenty of orange in the Matheny home.
I am grateful to live in a place filled with a wide range of interesting people, rich history, and unmatched scenery. It makes it easy to go to work every day, especially for a news operation like WBIR that values substance rather than sensationalism and is committed to educating, informing, and serving people with a "Straight from the Heart" approach.
When I'm not at work, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our dog, Duncan. Other personal interests include the great live music scene in East Tennessee, computers, World War II aviation, and almost all sports.