Ursula Madden to join Mayor-elect Jim Strickland's team

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - WMC Action News 5 announced Ursula Madden, anchor for WMC Action News 5 at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m., will leave the station effective December 7, 2015.

After 17 years with WMC Action News 5, Madden accepted the job of chief communications officer with Memphis Mayor-elect Jim Strickland. She will begin her new role on January 1, 2016.

"It hurts to leave you, but I love you all so much," Madden said during a WMC Action News 5 team meeting where she announced her new position with City of Memphis.

"Ursula has been a valuable member of our team and a joy to work with," said WMC Action News 5 News Director Tammy Phillips.  "While we will miss her here, we are thrilled that she will continue to serve our community in this new capacity."

Ursula Madden is a graduate of University of Oregon, where she earned her BA in Broadcast Journalism. She worked at KMTR in Eugene, Oregon before moving to Memphis and WMC Action News 5. She started as a reporter on December 14, 1998 and was promoted to weekend anchor one year later.  She has worked on every newscast during her tenure at WMC Action News 5.  In 2009, Ursula joined Joe Birch on the main anchor desk.

"We've been blessed to share the anchor desk at WMC Action News 5 since 2009," said WMC Action News 5 Anchor Joe Birch. "We've done 5,000 newscasts together and Ursula has been a splendid partner and has become one of my dearest friends. She is a first-rate journalist and a highly competent professional who will now bring her many gifts to the service of our great city."

Madden is an Emmy Award winning journalist and serves on the Board of Trustees for The Church Health Center and St. Mary's Episcopal School for Girls. She lends her support to The Women's Foundation of Greater Memphis and delivers meals for MIFA's Meals on Wheels program.

"You get to know a colleague very well working so often in such close proximity," said Birch. "I know that Ursula is excited about this new adventure in her career and she will bring a high standard of excellence to her new role at City Hall."

"I will leave with some great fond memories, and it's not like I'm going away. I'm just going down the street," Madden said.

Ursula Madden wrote the following statement to say 'Thank You' to all her fans.

Today is my last day on the anchor desk here at WMC, and I wanted to take this time to say 'Thank You,' to all the viewers, for all you years of encouragement and support.

I want you to know that I am not leaving Memphis, and will continue to serve this city. I'll just be doing it from a different building.

I have been blessed to have 17-wonderful years at WMC. And I'm so grateful to be surrounded by such talented friends and family, and to have been welcomed into your homes and hopefully your hearts---as you are in my heart.

I will miss my co-anchors like crazy!

And so many people behind the scenes that you don't get to see---but who are excellent at what they do.

I don't want to say goodbye, so I will just say farewell.

I hope you will have a happy and safe holiday, and be blessed as we move into the new year.

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