Janette R. Smith

Janette Renee Smith was born in St. Paul Minnesota and lived all over the world as part of a military family. Janette attended Montessori school and the first grade in Tehran, Iran. Janette began her career news in Huntsville, Alabama when interviewed with a group of students on the campus of Alabama A&M University. Smith started her news career at WAFF-48NBC as a secretary and camera operator in 1987. Over the following 8 years, Smith beat cancer and was promoted to the main anchorwoman for the 5pm and 10pm newscasts-winning numerous Press Club awards for Best Anchor and Producer. The prime time move made Smith the second African-American woman to ever anchor a prime time newscast in the Tennessee Valley news market. Smith's career moved swiftly up the market list to Cincinnati (WCPO 1995) -where she was awarded "The Distinguished Broadcaster Award" by The National Broadcasting Society- Alpha Epsilon Rho. She then moved to Dallas (WFAA 1998 ) and co-anchored the SE Regional Emmy-winning "Good Morning Texas" and then ended her News journey in Atlanta (WAGA 2001) before transitioning to hosting shows on HGTV and The DIY Network (2011 -2007). Janette has 2 Telly Awards for her work with The DIY Network and a Telly and Aurora award for her writing / producing on two documentaries. "The Dream Betrayed: The Lowndes County Story" and "The Joseph Project." Janette has interviewed and worked with some of the top thought-leaders and Influencers of our time- including Zig Ziglar, Oprah, Dr. Phil, Iyanla, Anthony Robbins. Janette's performance training is girded by her start in local and regional theater in college. She studies with renowned actor, Glenn Morshower in his Extra Milers Acting Workers classes. Janette Smith is credited as Janette R. Smith and can be seen as the character "Yolanda Jackson" in the Indy film "Christmas...Who Needs It"- featured in the 2008 Hollywood Black Film Festival. Janette is a Transformational Talk Show Host for a web-based series, an actor, voice, and commercial talent living in Baltimore, MD.