Outstanding Young Alumni
Mia D. Gradney
Awarded 2016
Whether she’s reporting on hurricanes or Hollywood stars or suiting up local women for job interviews, Mia Gradney has dedicated her life to serving the city of Houston.
The three-time Emmy award-winning anchor and reporter graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in radio, television and film, with a concentration in broadcast journalism, and began her career as a writer and production assistant for the Debra Duncan Show and KTRK-13 news.
She spent 12 years as a lead anchor at KIAH in Houston, where she followed some of the biggest breaking-news events. She filed reports from Reliant Park in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina evacuees first arrived at the Astrodome. Weeks later, she documented the evacuations across Texas in response to Hurricane Rita.
Today, she is a lead news anchor with KHOU-11 news, where she keeps Houston informed about the city.
Gradney also is a longtime volunteer and advisory council member with Dress for Success, an organization dedicated to preparing low-income women with professional interview attire and readiness skills.
In 2003, she teamed up with a fellow volunteer to co-found Women of Wardrobe, the young professionals group designed to support Dress for Success. Women of Wardrobe is now one of the largest and most successful young professionals groups in Houston.
This year Gradney launched Speak for Success, a new client program at Dress For Success Houston, which educates women about effective verbal communication for professional and personal growth.