Jennifer Mayerle | Atlanta News Reporter Bio - CBS Atlanta 46

Jennifer Mayerle is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who joined CBS Atlanta News as a reporter in May 2006.

In her first year in Atlanta, Jennifer received the Georgia Associated Press Broadcasters Association awards for Best General Reporting and Best Series Reporting.  In the four following years, she won five additional awards from the Georgia AP, including for Best Anchor/Reporter, Best Series Reporting, and Best General Reporting and Best Specialized Reporting. 

Last year, Jennifer won an Emmy, an Edward R. Murrow Award, and a Georgia AP award for her report on Ann Bartlett, a DeKalb County woman who died in a house fire after firefighters failed to respond properly to her 911 call.

Jennifer broke an investigation on counterfeit smoke detectors purchased over a five-year period by the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department that were distributed to low-income residents of high-risk areas in Atlanta. The exclusive story developed into a highly-publicized series of stories, and forced the Department to recall and begin to replace more than 18,500 counterfeit detectors. Her reports also prompted an FBI investigation.

Jennifer received the Apex Society's 2008 "Power 30 under 30" award, which honors 30 professionals in Atlanta under age 30 for their professional and community excellence.

Jennifer comes to Atlanta from WKRG in Mobile, AL, where she was a weekend anchor/reporter.

While in Mobile, she gained international exposure for her coverage of Hurricane Katrina. She won her first Emmy for her interview with Hardy Jackson in Biloxi, Mississippi just hours after the storm passed. It was one of the first stories of human suffering to emerge. 

Jackson recalled how his wife was swept from his grasp by the floodwaters. Through her experience with Katrina and its aftermath, Jennifer has realized the strength of communities along the Gulf Coast that extends to cities such as Atlanta.

Jennifer started her career at KWES in Midland, TX, as a weekend anchor/reporter.

Jennifer grew up in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, and graduated from the University of San Diego.

Send Jennifer an e-mail at jennifer.mayerle@cbsatlanta.com