WLUK Green Bay Anchor Tom Milbourn Retiring

Long-time WLUK Green Bay, Wis. (DMA 67), news anchor Tom Milbourn has announced his retirement effective next month.

Since joining the Sinclair Fox affiliate in 1994, Milbourn has helped establish the station’s reputation as a news leader in the Green Bay/Fox Cities television market.

WLUK GM Jay Zollar praised Milbourn’s integrity as a journalist that he said served to inspire others to aspire to the highest levels of accuracy and fairness.

“It has been a real pleasure working with Tom over the past 20 years.  He has been a trusted and passionate journalist, but even more than that he has been a terrific community and newsroom leader,” Zollar said.

Milbourn’s involvement in the community has been widespread, not only more than a thousand appearances as a master of ceremonies, but also personal involvement in organization such as the Rotary Club of Green Bay which he served as president, and on the boards of directors of Junior Achievement, American Red Cross, Neville Public Museum, Packers 65 Roses and many more.  He has been a long-time host of events such as the Golden Apple Awards, the Small Business Recognition Awards, Juvenile Diabetes Gala, Rotary Free Enterprise Award, Muscular Dystrophy Telethon, Packers Family Night and so on.

Milbourn began his career in radio in Kansas. “As a 15-year-old rookie radio announcer, I never imagined a broadcasting career of 57 years,” he said.  “It’s my 50^th year in television news, more than 40 in Wisconsin, more than 30 in this market and my 25^th year in the FOX 11 anchor chair. I feel blessed.”

Milbourn’s television career included serving as news director and anchor in Madison, Wis.; Lansing, Mich.; and Champaign, Ill., before coming to Green Bay in 1987.

He received the 2009 Carol Brewer Award recognizing a career of service to Wisconsin broadcast journalism. In Madison, he served on the committee that established the rules for cameras in Wisconsin courtrooms.

Milbourn received his master’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is an adjunct instructor at St. Norbert College. An Air Force veteran, he is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Wisconsin Air National Guard.

Milbourn’s final newscasts will be Tuesday, Nov. 20.