‘Ending to a blessed story’: Longtime anchor Dawndy Mercer Plank leaving Columbia’s WIS
A fixture of television news in the Midlands is stepping away from her longtime gig.
Dawndy Mercer Plank, who worked in news for nearly 30 years at Columbia’s NBC affiliate WIS, announced on Thursday that she was stepping away from her role at the station. Plank told viewers and friends about her decision in a Thursday afternoon Facebook post, one in which she said her exit from the station was an “ending to a blessed story.”
Mercer Plank first arrived at WIS in 1992 after having worked in the Green Bay, Wisconsin, market. She worked for a number of years at WIS, then went to work in the Houston, Texas, market for five years, before returning to WIS, she said in her Facebook post. In total, Mercer Plank worked for 27 years at WIS.
Mercer Plank’s last day at WIS was Thursday. She said in her social media post that stepping away was a hard decision.
“Leaving WIS TV is, by far, one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Mercer Plank said on social media. “But it’s time. And that’s why this news comes to you just hours before I ‘turn in my key’ to my news team. I wanted every second to pray and be convinced this is the right time to exit.”
Mercer Plank said in her Facebook post that she has several things on her upcoming agenda, including working as an independent contractor doing talent work and other projects for various clients. She said she’ll also ride horses, train for marathons, work toward mastering the French language and spend more time with husband Craig Plank, who is a Columbia insurance agent.
“Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, ‘There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens,’” Mercer Plank noted on Facebook. “Now is my time to move on. Please know how very much I have considered it an honor and blessing to be your anchor.”
This story was originally published September 29, 2023 at 9:25 AM.
