Thank you Channel 12, Liz Bonis, and John Lomax
We are grateful that Channel 12 has been the long-time media partner of the Center for Respite Care. Channel 12 has helped to create community-wide awareness about who we are and what we do. They support our effort to share our mission with the public — as we are the only organization that cares for adults experiencing homelessness when they are ill and need a place to recover.
This relationship has included Liz Bonis. Center representatives have often been guests on her show, “What’s Happening in Health.” For many years, Liz has emceed our annual Transformation Awards gala. Through Liz’s involvement, the Transformation Awards has become a significant yearly event honoring those individuals and organizations who transform our community. We are delighted to announce she will emcee Transformation Awards 2024, slated to “drop” virtually in September.
Shortly, we will announce all 2024 honorees. We kick this process off by announcing that John Lomax will be honored posthumously. Through his presence and commitment to the community, John spent his life lifting and supporting others. Thousands of fans, friends, and family miss him.
About Liz Bonis — Transformation Awards emcee:
Liz Bonis is the Local 12 Health Anchor & Medical Reporter. She reports daily on breaking health headlines, cutting-edge research, and in-depth health and medical procedures and stories. Liz has been at Local 12 since 2002.
She is a registered dietitian, a certified personal trainer, and a former certified diabetes educator. Liz has a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of Applied Science And Technology in Dietetics & Nutrition and a Master of Science in Public Communications and Journalism in Radio/Television News from Syracuse University.
Liz does weekly local radio health reports in Cincinnati and hosts “What’s Happening in Health,” a weekly Sunday morning health news show on WKRC-TV. The Center is proud to be a guest on this show.
Liz does volunteer work with several area organizations including the American Heart Association, Cancer Family Care, and Crossroads Community Church. She hosts continuing education programs and health seminars in the Tri-State and nationwide on women’s health, wellness, weight management, diabetes care, fitness, and nutrition communications.
Honoree John Lomax:
Lomax spent most of his career as a Channel 12 anchor. Shortly after he established himself at the station, his bosses used Lomax frequently to fill in on the anchor desk, including a six-month stint as a weekend sports anchor. For November sweeps in 1990, his temporary assignment to co-anchor Good Morning Cincinnati with Jill Kelly became permanent when the early newscast was only one hour. (Now it’s more than 5-1/2 hours, from 4:25 to 10 a.m.)
Lomax called himself “one of the last ‘80s kids” hired under anchor-managing editor Nick Clooney. Those young journalists – Andrews, Howard Ain, Kit Andrews, Denny Janson, Edie Magnus, Steve Forrest, George Ciccarone, Dan Royal, Randy Little, and Karla Stanley – provided the reports that helped Clooney’s 11 p.m. newscast end Al Schottelkotte’s 22-year streak at No. 1 for WCPO.
When those coworkers moved on, Lomax became the newsroom mentor for matters on the air – and off the air – earning him “The Godfather” nickname.
Thank you to Channel 12 for caring about our community — to Liz Bonis for her commitment to the Center and John Lomax for all he did to make Greater Cincinnati a better place to work and to live.
