| Special
Guests
Vikki Vargas is NBC4's Orange County Bureau Chief, overseeing all news gathering operations for the station in Orange County. She joined NBC4 in July 1982 as a general assignment reporter. Prior to that, Vargas was a news reporter and weekend anchor/producer at KESQ-TV in Palm Springs. While at NBC4, Vargas has covered a number of national and international stories. In 2000 she covered the Republican National Convention. In 1996, she was the first reporter to interview Kevin Green; a convicted murderer released from prison after serving 17 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit. She covered the opening of the Richard Nixon Library in July 1990 and obtained exclusive video of former Nixon aides, including Haldeman and Kissinger. During
her career, Vargas has received several awards and honors, including
the prestigious Golden Mike Award and in 2002 was nominated for
an Emmy. She has also been honored by the Orange County Press Club
for best news reporting, and by the State Bar Association for outstanding
reporting. Vargas was named a "Woman for the 90's" by
the International Business Students Association at California State
University at Fullerton, her alma mater, and in 1997 she received
the Vision & Visionaries Award from the college. The latter
honor is the highest possible tribute given by the school to alumni.
In
1980, Vargas moved to KOCE-TV, a public broadcasting station in
Huntington Beach, where she interned as a writer and researcher
for "Newscheck," a bi-weekly Orange County news program.
Active
in the community, Vargas serves on the Board of Directors for the
Orangewood Children's Foundation. She also serves on the advisory
board of Cal State Fullerton's "Guardian Scholars" program
and works with Aids Walk Orange County. Vargas
graduated from the California State University at Fullerton with
a bachelor's degree in communications. A native of Downey, she currently
lives with her family in Orange County. |
Honorees— 2007
Community Leadership Award 2007
Community Leadership Award 2007
Distinguished Service Award 2007
Community Service Award 2007
Michael R. Jones Business Impact Award 2007
Business Person of the Year |
