Derek Van Dam Biography
Derek Van Dam is a news personality serving as a weather anchor for CNN based at the network’s headquarters in Atlanta. He provides weather reports and science bulletins on weekday and weekend editions of CNN Newsroom. Previously he was Chief Meteorologist at eNCA. He was also morning weather anchor at an NBC affiliate in Flint, Michigan.
Derek Van Dam Age
He was born on October 7, 1983 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. He is 37 years old.
Derek Van Dam Height
Van Dam is 5 feet 9 inches tall.
Derek Van Dam Nationality
He is an American national.
Derek Van Dam Education
In 2005, he graduated with Bachelor’s degrees in Meteorology and Broadcast Journalism from Central Michigan University.
Derek Van Dam Family
His parents are Carole Van Dam and Dam Van Tom. However, he has not revealed whether he has siblings or not.
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Derek Van Dam Wife
Van Dam is married to Tara Hossack. Tara is originally from George though she moved to Cape Town when she was 6 years. She’s an independent producer and freelance journalist.
Derek popped the question at the finish line of the Comrades Marathon in 2014, which they both ran, following a two-year courtship. The couple later got officially married in Cape Town in August 2014 though it was a small ceremony since Derek had just accepted a position at CNN and needed to make it over to America for his new job. The newlyweds spent four months apart while Tara waited for her US visa to be granted. The couple resides in Atlanta. In addition, Derek is a guitar player while his wife plays piano.
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Derek Van Dam Kids
He together with his wife, Tara have two children. Their daughter, Maya Sophia was born on March 1, 2017 while their son, Logan Malloy was born on July 31, 2018.
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Derek Van Dam CNN
Van Dam is a weather anchor for CNN based at the network’s headquarters in Atlanta. He provides weather reports and science bulletins on weekday and weekend editions of CNN Newsroom. He is also a “Certified Broadcast Meteorologist” by the American Meteorological Society (AMS), a designation which recognizes excellence in his field.
Van Dam has reported live on location from every U.S. landfalling hurricane since 2016 including Hurricane Harvey from Houston, Texas; Hurricane Maria from San Juan, Puerto Rico; Hurricane Irma from Miami Beach, Florida; and Hurricane Nate from Biloxi, Mississippi. He also reports extensively on the climate crisis and its impact on society. In 2015 he flew into the eye of a major storm during Hurricane Joaquin with the infamous ‘Hurricane Hunters’ U.S. Air Force squadron looking for the doomed ‘El Faro’ cargo ship that sank during the storm as part of special coverage for Anderson Cooper 360°.
Prior to joining CNN International, Van Dam was credited with raising the quality and standards of weather broadcasting across the African continent with his previous position as Chief Meteorologist at eNCA (eNews Channel Africa). He managed a team of seven meteorologists and climatologists while anchoring daily weather bulletins for the station’s flagship news shows. His humanitarian work with a U.S.-based non-governmental organization (NGO) called “The Compassionate Life Foundation” is what first brought him to Southern Africa. In 2008 he relocated to Cape Town to pursue a unique position within his field of work; launching South Africa’s first 24-hour news channel.
Before moving to Africa, he worked as a morning weather anchor at an NBC affiliate in Flint, Michigan. He enjoys extreme sports including surfing and sailing and he is also an avid Ultra Marathon runner and has participated in two of South Africa’s toughest single-day road and trail events.
Derek Van Dam Awards
In 2017 he contributed to CNN’s special live coverage of the solar eclipse from Tennessee. The team’s virtual reality coverage of ‘The Eclipse of the Century’ was recognized with a 2018 Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation.
Derek Van Dam Salary
He earns an average salary ranging between $40,000 – $110,500 per year.
Derek Van Dam Net Worth
Van Dam has an estimated net worth of $5 million.
Derek Van Dam Instagram
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