Ama Daetz
I began my career as a writer, producer, and editor in Fresno, California, where I learned about California's top agriculture community and the plight of its farmworkers. I traded the Central Valley heat for that of the Texas panhandle and worked behind the scenes for my first on-air position in Amarillo as an anchor and reporter. My next adventure took me to Michigan, anchoring and reporting in both Kalamazoo and Detroit. While I enjoyed meeting new people and living in different parts of the country, the Golden State was calling me back. I made the long, cross-country drive to California (did you know there's a corn palace in South Dakota and a statue of the Jolly Green Giant in Minnesota?), working in our state's capitol before coming home to the Bay. It is truly an honor to be able to bring the news that matters to my friends, family, and everyone who calls the Bay Area home.
I won't pretend it's always easy to report on what's happening in the world. Some of my most memorable stories have tragic roots. In 2013, I covered the Boston Marathon bombing that claimed three lives and injured hundreds of runners and spectators alike. While I will never forget hearing the gunfire in Watertown as police brought the hunt for the bombers to a close, what really stood out to me was the way the neighborhood cheered for authorities as they drove out of town, announcing to the crowd that had gathered, that they were turning the town back over to its residents. It was an emotional moment, and it's those moments in time that are never lost on me. I saw the same sense of community in Aurora, Colorado, in the days after the movie theater shooting in 2012. Those are the moments-witnessing humanity, compassion, and unity - that I try to hold onto.
My experience hasn't been limited to journalism; I've also had the pleasure of acting in a primetime TV series.
I believe in balance and have a conviction that having personal interests is crucial for my growth and mental and physical well-being. For me, that includes movement, music, nature, and family. I love to cycle, hike, and see all the Bay Area sights!
Ama Daetz is the weekday co-anchor of ABC7 News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m.
Ama's Stories
Women's tackle football? Yes, it's real and the Bay Area has its first professional team
The Bay Area gets another women's professional sports team as the Golden State Storm begin their inaugural season as a women's tackle football team.
Why Bay Area ceramics studios are growing in popularity as pottery interest spikes
From screens to clay, a quieter revolution is taking shape. Neighborhood ceramics studios are on the rise as Bay Area residents swap screen time for hands-on connection - finding calm, challenge, and community in the process.
Cook surviving on artificial heart saved with donor heart in first-ever UCSF transplant
"I was scared to death because I didn't have a heart for months." A man surviving without a real heart got a lucky break -- UCSF completed its first successful artificial heart to donor heart transplant. Two others died before him, attempting the same procedure.
After decades of being criminalized, lowriders get government's stamp of approval
The U.S. Postal Service unveiled a new series of stamps on Friday that features five special cars. For the lowrider community, it's validation of a vibrant, artistic expression that blossomed decades ago in Mexican American and Chicano communities with the transformation of everyday cars into rolling masterpieces.
'Lymphomaniac': One-woman show by SF native set to take global stage at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
"The Fringe is probably the most well-known theater festival in the world." A San Francisco native is about to get global exposure for her one-woman show about surviving cancer at a young age.
How a new online tool is helping people of any age assess their colon cancer risk
Colon cancer is on the rise in younger adults and one doctor says, "It's going to be the leading cause of cancer death under 50." Here's a look at the American Cancer Society's new online tool helping people of any age assess their colon cancer risk.
Bay Area breast cancer survivor develops platform to support people through life's challenges
Simplifying support. A new platform called Wellnest is designed to do just that. It was developed by a Bay Area woman, a breast cancer survivor, who saw the need for an easier way to help family and friends through tough times.
Black women at higher risk of dying from breast cancer: How new study hopes for better health equity
The American Cancer Society is urging Black women to use their voices to help fight breast cancer. "African American women are doing worse than any ethnic group and they have about 40% higher risk of dying from a breast cancer, compared to white women overall," said one Kaiser Permanente doctor.
Bay Area Black history museum gets a permanent home: How it's taking a closer look at rich past
A $2 million grant is giving a museum a new place to call home in Redwood City. Here's how the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum and Learning Center is taking a deeper look at the rich history of Black culture.
Younger women who have never smoked are at increasing risk of lung cancer, research shows
Lung cancer carries the stigma of smoking. But, as ABC7 News anchor Ama Daetz explains, new research shows young women who have never smoked are increasingly at risk.
