Jessica D’Onofrio joined the Local 6 news team in January 2005 as a reporter/fill-in-anchor.

A Chicago native, she started her career as a writer for WFLD-TV in the Windy City before earning her first on-air job in Central Illinois where she covered the state capitol when Barack Obama was a little known state legislator.

While working at WHOI-TV as the Bloomington-Normal bureau chief, D’Onofrio covered anything from union strikes at the Mitsubishi plant to insurance issues at State Farm’s corporate headquarters.

From Central Illinois, D’Onofrio moved on to WXIN-TV Fox 59 in Indianapolis where she was a reporter/fill-in-anchor. She covered a wide range of stories including the Indianapolis 500, an AFC championship game and major tornadoes, floods and ice storms.

After a few years living as a Hoosier, Jessica moved to a warmer climate joining Local 6 in 2005.

She has covered stories that have made national headlines like the Terri Schiavo saga. She even had the privilege to follow the Maitland All-Stars to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA and the Florida Gators to the BCS Championship game.

D’Onofrio has broken several local stories and can be seen mainly on Local 6 at 11pm.

D’Onofrio graduated from the University of Michigan and received her master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

During her master’s program, she served as a Washington, D.C. correspondent for KSNT-TV out of Topeka, KS covering the Clinton administration and the Capitol.

From the day she was born, Jessica was on TV. A CBS crew asked her mother in the hospital to sign a permission form so they could take video of her in the maternity ward for an evening newscast.

Aside from the love of her job, Jessica is an excellent cook. She sings, enjoys all types of dance and is known to be a bit of a dare devil.

She has won a first place SPJ award in Indianapolis for best feature story. She is also on the board of directors for the Victim Service Center of Orange County.

D’Onofrio resides in Orlando.

Drop Jessica an e-mail at: jdonofrio@local6.com.

Favorite Restaurant: Carmine's on Rush Street in Chicago, Bonefish Grill and Maggiano's.
Favorite Food: Italian, Thai, Sushi, Greek.
Favorite Genre Of Music: Hip-Hop and R&B.
Favorite Musical Group: John Mayer.
Favorite Book: The Best of Mike Royko "One More Time."
Favorite Sports: Football and Indy car racing.
Favorite Movie: "Sixteen Candles", "The Notebook" and "The Godfather."
Favorite TV Show: "Cold Case Files" on A&E.
Favorite Actor/Actress: Sean Penn and Laura Linney.
Favorite Quote: "Do, or do not. There is no 'try.'" -- Yoda (The Empire Strikes Back).
Place You Would Love To Visit: Paris and anyplace tropical.