Loree Vick Makes News as Slovenian Woman of the Year

by Joe Valencic

 There was a time in Cleveland when you could turn on your television and get the news from an all-Slovenian team. Now the Federation of Slovenian National Homes reunites newscaster Loree Vick with her former broadcast partner, Dick Russ, as Slovenian Woman and Man of the Year.

            "I was surprised and delighted to be named Woman of the Year. And humbled, too." says Loree. "I hope I'm living up to expectations. Being Slovenian has always been a source of pride in my life." 

            Loree enjoyed a sixteen-year career in news on WJW-TV. For much of her time at Channel 8, she co-anchored the noon news with Dick Russ. As a team, Loree and Dick had on-screen chemistry and credibility -- primary reasons for their popularity and longevity. The fact that both were Slovenian was a bonus. They were often joined by weather reporter Jan Paulich Jones and sportscaster John Telich for the country's only Slovenian-led news broadcast.

            As a producer and solo host, Loree was best known for her "Around Town" vignettes of fascinating Cleveland people and places. She has received awards for her work in television.

            Loree now serves as senior public relations and media advisor for University Hospitals (UH), where she is also the voice of UH and talent in hospital TV commercials. As a professional talent, she has appeared in numerous broadcast commercials, voice-overs, corporate training films and print ads. Her clients include General Electric, Progressive Insurance, McDonalds, Goodyear Tire, Kobe Steel, Sears, Applebee's, and Nabisco. She is frequently asked to emcee events for a wide variety of organizations.

            As with many Slovenian immigrant families, Loree's grandparents settled in the old St. Clair neighborhood. Her father, born Joseph Vuk, was raised on East 60th and Lausche Avenue near St. Vitus Church. In his early years, Joe was a professional swimmer who performed with stars like Esther Williams and Johnny Weissmuller.

            "At one of his swimming events, his name was misspelled Vick and it stuck," explains Loree, "so Vick became his name and, hence, our family surname."

            Grandmother Mary was known as Mary Wolf by her neighbors. Vuk is a form of the Slovenian word for wolf.

            "My grandmother was old-school Slovenian," recalls Loree. "She was thrifty. She wore a babushka. She practically lived in her kitchen, making her own noodles and other traditional foods. I miss the smells of her kitchen. We loved her nut bread, as we called it. That was the potica she baked for special occasions."

            Loree's mother Ruth, at 91 years, is intensely proud to be Irish.

            "St. Patrick's Day was a big holiday for us," adds Loree. "I'm truly blessed to have rich backgrounds that are both Irish and Slovenian. It's a lively family."

            One of seven children, Loree grew up in South Euclid and attended nearby Regina High School, the Catholic college preparatory school for girls. She spent a lot of time at St. Joseph High School for boys, where she appeared in numerous plays and musicals.

            "She really stood out as the friendliest of all the girls in the shows and plays," recalls a St. Joe graduate. "Loree wasn't at all stuck on herself."

            A career in theater appealed to Loree and she received her undergraduate degree and education certificate at Cleveland State University. She worked at the May Company Department Store to pay for her education. Loree continued on to Case Western Reserve University for a master of fine arts degree in theater. She has taught speech and communications at Wright State College of Chicago.

            It was during an audition at WJW-TV8 for "PM Magazine," a news and entertainment program, that news director Virgil Dominic discovered Loree and offered her an internship in the news department. She was soon paired with Dick Russ to co-anchor the noon news. The partnership lasted sixteen years -- the longest-running news team in local broadcasting.

            "Virgil believed in hiring Clevelanders for news programming," says Loree. "We knew the city and understood our audience. Viewers identified with us because we were locals."

            Loree was also a reporter on the medical, consumer, family and food beats, first for CBS and then for Fox. She eventually produced, wrote, and hosted her own program, "Around Town with Loree Vick," a highly-viewed daily news segment that profiled everyday people live on air.

            "I had license to go anywhere and visit different places. Being live, anything could happen. I have a library of anecdotes."

            Many of her interviews featured an ethnic angle, from a sausage shop or a bakery making holiday paczki to St. Stanislaus Church or the Accordion Museum.

            "People will still remind me of a report I did years ago. When people remember you like that, it means you're still somehow a part of their lives."

            Loree was the first local female anchor to return to the news desk after motherhood. When her husband, John Varaljay, accepted a position in Chicago in 1999, Loree left Cleveland and her news career. She launched her own consulting business, Vick Communications, which trains executives and professionals in media, presentation and personal communication skills. The couple raised two children, Justin, now 24, and Malaney, 22, christened with the maiden name of Loree's mother.

            When John passed away in 2005, Loree and her son and daughter returned to Cleveland. University Hospitals' media department was expanding and Loree was brought on board, first to run media relations and now in her public relations role. She is on the advisory committee for the UH Department of Psychiatry. Loree serves on the boards of Cornerstone of Hope, a center for grief support, and Suicide Prevention Education Alliance and is an honorary board member of the Arc of Greater Cleveland, an advocacy group for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

            "It truly is an honor to have Dick and Loree as Slovenian Man and Woman of the Year," says Steve Zalar, Vice President of the Cleveland Federation of Slovenian National Homes. "They are both such role models for the community."

            "It's great to be teamed up with Dick Russ again," adds Loree. "Dick and I are as close as family. He's like a brother."

            Last year, Loree and Dick were invited by the American Slovenian Polka Foundation to announce the Band and Musician of the Year before a crowd of 900 at the annual awards ceremony of the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum. The event gave them an opportunity to trade quips about their difference in height, a fact largely unnoticed when they were seated behind a TV news desk. Loree is often described as statuesque while Dick's vertical profile is a bit more edited.

            Since her return to Cleveland, Loree has been making the rounds within the city's Slovenian social circles. She was Dick's special guest at his WKYC - TV 3 open house for the Cleveland Slovenian Business and Professional Association last year.

                        "Everyone in the Slovenian community has opened their hearts to me," says Loree. "They're like people I've known forever. I enjoy exploring my Slovenian side and I have learned so much. The rituals and traditions mean a lot to me. It's important to celebrate your personal family history and appreciate the sacrifices which were made to build a new life for us in this country."