Kerry Sanders, the longtime NBC News correspondent whose career began at an NBC affiliate in Miami in 1991 and took him to all U.S. states and around the world, is retiring after 32 years in broadcast journalism.
NBC News’ “Today” show applauded Sanders on Tuesday — when his retirement became effective — with a highlight reel of his’ impactful career on its streaming channel Today All Day.
He also appeared on the NBC morning show, reflecting on his fair share of quirky, distant assignments, such as the 2007 trip to the Island of Gukera, Tikhaya Bay at Franz Josef Land Archipelago, part of far north Russia in the Arctic Ocean. During his tenure, the correspondent touched own on all seven continents and the North Pole.
“The amazing thing about this job is that I got a chance to go everywhere,” he said.
Although his career took him on the pursuit of stories around the globe, it all began in his home state of Florida. Sanders graduated from the University of South Florida and “was a fixture of hurricane and political coverage in the state over the years,” including the contested 2000 presidential election.
Sanders said on “Today” that he was looking forward to staying home more after traveling over 200 days a year. He credited his wife Deborah for being “an amazing supporter,” he said, adding they both decided it was time to retire while they were home for “long stretches during the height of the pandemic restrictions.”
Focused on a “new chapter in their lives,” Sanders said they “realized that we do really good together all the time, so maybe that’s what we should do now.”
Kerry can still get up and go – on vacations – as he’s accumulated 4 million frequent-flier miles, although he added he’ll miss “the camaraderie and the family” of the “daily, high-energy experience” working at NBC News.
“I can still go diving, I can still go out and do that,” he said.
Sanders became a mainstay on “Today,” NBC Nightly News, MSNBC and Dateline NBC and reported from Iraq, the site of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico near Texas, and national stories originating in Florida including Trayvon Martin’s death, Parkland school shooting and the Casey Anthony trial.
“I think that I can’t believe that I had this amazing opportunity to join this family,” Sanders said on “Today” as he signed off from the network. “I still pinch myself to think that you all welcomed me and that I was a part of this. It’s been a dream come true.”
Sanders’ was recognized with Peabody and Emmy awards since joining NBC via the Miami affiliate WTVJ. “Whether it involved daredevil adventures like jumping out of airplanes and hanging from cliffs, or essential reporting on elections, mass shootings and legal trials that captivated the country,” Sanders was game, “Today” wrote.
“He endured the severe weather of more than 100 named storms to bring viewers important updates, and also reported from the ground during the war in Iraq.”
Sanders reflected on the inherent danger of covering wars and military conflicts during the third hour of “Today” on Tuesday.
“I will say that I was scared in the war,” Sanders said. “I went to many conflicts, but probably when I was embedded with the Marines, 2d Battalion 8th Marines. I’m here today because they saved my life and my crew every day, in many cases.”
