Melissa Voetsch retires from WTVG

Melissa Voetsch is signing off from television news.

The long-time reporter announced her retirement in Facebook post on Wednesday.

“Movin On! It is with the deepest gratitude that I am announcing my retirement from TV News!” wrote Voetsch, who reports for WTVG, Channel 13. “It's been such a privilege to tell the stories of people in NW Ohio for the majority of my career! I thank you for allowing me into your homes for all these years! With the deepest respect for all of your support!”

Voetsch began her career more than 30 years ago with WTOL, Channel 11, where she became a known name in the community as a morning co-anchor. She left the field for two years because of health concerns, and then returned to local television screens on Channel 13 in 2014. Her local reporting there has won two Emmy Awards.

Voetsch told The Blade on Thursday that she feels blessed to have such a fulfilling career.

“A lot of the most extraordinary stories have been at 13 in the last eight years. It's been the water crisis, the pandemic. I covered the unfortunate and untimely death of a mayor, a lot of the more important stories like the heroin epidemic,” she said.

In 2011 Voetsch was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy,  an enlargement of the heart, and a leaky valve. The life-threatening condition halted her broadcasting career abruptly. She’s since openly shared her health journey's ebbs and flows, further deepening her rapport with the community she’s dedicated decades to covering.

"It's a gift that I was able to do that,” she said. “When I tell other people's stories, it opens avenues of help for others through their courage to tell their stories, and I felt the privilege to do that myself by sharing near-fatal heart issues I've had. Being able to share my story has helped other people, and they've reached out over the years for guidance after I was able to share my story.”

Returning to broadcast at Channel 13 was a "second act," she told The Blade, and now she’s setting her sights on the third.

Voetsch is the founder of the Phoenix Project, a rehabilitation program for women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction, and she said she plans to now work there as a counselor.

She said she is pleased to retire from broadcast news on a good note.

"What a privilege to be able to do this in Toledo for all these years. I want people to know that,” she said. “It's a privilege to have represented this area on television news. The support has been ridiculously and beautifully overwhelming. I'm really humbled and grateful."

She added that she never envisioned a career of 30-plus years in an ever-changing industry.

"I didn't know that I could last this long, and I can say Toledo has been the best place to do this and to raise my family. That's saying a lot,” she said. “I have a deep love for Toledo.”