Tara Gray
Encyclopedia
Tara Gray is a former beauty queen from Birmingham, Alabama
who has competed in the Miss Teen USA
and Miss USA
pageants. She has worked as a local journalist, reporter and entertainment presenter, as well as a national TV host and reporter. Tara Gray currently resides in Los Angeles, California where she is working as a TV host, commercial talent, model, and owns the production company salesRUSH.
1997 title in 1996 and went on to represent Alabama
in the Miss Teen USA
1997 broadcast live from South Padre Island, Texas
on August 20, 1997, the first time the pageant was held in this location.
In 2000, she competed in the Miss Alabama USA
pageant for the first time and placed first runner-up to Laura Hoffman. She returned the following year and won the Miss Alabama USA 2002 title, becoming the third Miss Alabama Teen USA to win the Miss title.
Tara competed in the Miss USA 2002
pageant held in Gary, Indiana
in March 2002, and made the top twelve. She placed seventh in swimsuit during the final competition and tenth in evening gown, placing ninth overall. The pageant was won by Shauntay Hinton
of the District of Columbia.
and worked as a reporter and anchor for the school's broadcast journalism department. She later attended Auburn University
and continued with similar roles in the field of journalism. She was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority
. She graduated in 2000 with a major in Mass Communication and a double minor in Psychology and Spanish.
Gray got her first job in television as a producer for FOX6
, WBRC
in Birmingham in 2000. In 2002 she was hired as the on-air spokesperson for WABM-TV UPN68 and later became known as "The Face of MY68." While working for WABM, Tara also worked for Metro Networks
/Westwood One
, where she provided daily local news reports to a number of radio stations throughout Alabama. She also worked as a traffic reporter for FOX6 News’ Daybreak and Good Day Alabama, and as a traffic and news reporter for COX Radio stations, 95.7 JAMZ, 98.7 KISS FM, and Heaven 610 WAGG.
Tara anchored MY68’s entertainment news segment, Tara Talk and Tara's Takes, and had her own feature segment as an entertainment reporter for CW21 News at Nine before moving to Los Angeles to work as a TV host. She has worked aS on-air talent for GemsTV, KDOC-TV Los Angeles, and now ownes her own production company, salesRUSH. The company produces content for TV stations, and reality TV shows, and includes media buying, publication and internet divisions.
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
who has competed in the Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
and Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
pageants. She has worked as a local journalist, reporter and entertainment presenter, as well as a national TV host and reporter. Tara Gray currently resides in Los Angeles, California where she is working as a TV host, commercial talent, model, and owns the production company salesRUSH.
Pageantry
Tara won the Miss Alabama Teen USAMiss Alabama Teen USA
The Miss Alabama Teen USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the Miss Teen USA pageant.Alabama has not had a great deal of success at Miss Teen USA, with only four teens making the cut and none placing higher than 4th runner-up. That placement...
1997 title in 1996 and went on to represent Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
in the Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
1997 broadcast live from South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island, Texas
South Padre Island is a town in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen Metropolitan Statistical Area. It may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas. The population was 2,816 at the...
on August 20, 1997, the first time the pageant was held in this location.
In 2000, she competed in the Miss Alabama USA
Miss Alabama USA
The Miss Alabama USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Alabama in the Miss USA pageant.Alabama is one of the more successful and consistent states at Miss USA. Although they have had a number of runners-up, finalists and semi-finalists, they have only...
pageant for the first time and placed first runner-up to Laura Hoffman. She returned the following year and won the Miss Alabama USA 2002 title, becoming the third Miss Alabama Teen USA to win the Miss title.
Tara competed in the Miss USA 2002
Miss USA 2002
The Miss USA 2002 pageant was held in Gary, Indiana on March 2, 2002. The event was won by Shauntay Hinton of the District of Columbia, who was crowned by outgoing queen Kandace Krueger of Texas....
pageant held in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
in March 2002, and made the top twelve. She placed seventh in swimsuit during the final competition and tenth in evening gown, placing ninth overall. The pageant was won by Shauntay Hinton
Shauntay Hinton
Shauntay Hinton is an actress and former beauty queen from Starkville, Mississippi who won the Miss USA title in 2002.-Education:Hinton graduated from Starkville High School in 1997. She later studied broadcast communications at Howard University....
of the District of Columbia.
Journalism
Tara Gray attended Pelham High SchoolPelham High School
Pelham High School is a public high school located in Pelham, Alabama. Part of the , Pelham was built in 1973 and opened in 1974. The school's mascot is "Paws" the Panther, and its colors are Forrest Green and Vegas Gold.- History :...
and worked as a reporter and anchor for the school's broadcast journalism department. She later attended Auburn University
Auburn University
Auburn University is a public university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. With more than 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members, it is one of the largest universities in the state. Auburn was chartered on February 7, 1856, as the East Alabama Male College, a private liberal arts...
and continued with similar roles in the field of journalism. She was a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
. She graduated in 2000 with a major in Mass Communication and a double minor in Psychology and Spanish.
Gray got her first job in television as a producer for FOX6
WBRC
WBRC, virtual channel 6, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Birmingham, Alabama designated market area. The station is owned by Raycom Media, and its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham...
, WBRC
WBRC
WBRC, virtual channel 6, is the Fox-affiliated television station serving the Birmingham, Alabama designated market area. The station is owned by Raycom Media, and its transmitter is located atop Red Mountain in Birmingham...
in Birmingham in 2000. In 2002 she was hired as the on-air spokesperson for WABM-TV UPN68 and later became known as "The Face of MY68." While working for WABM, Tara also worked for Metro Networks
Metro Networks
http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/files/2011/04/Metro_Logo_bigger.jpgMetro Networks is a broadcasting outsourcing company based in Houston, Texas. It was a subsidiary of Westwood One until its sale to Clear Channel Communications in 2011...
/Westwood One
Westwood One
Westwood One was an American radio network and was based in New York City. At one time, it was managed by CBS Radio, the radio arm of CBS Corporation, and Viacom and was later purchased by the private equity firm The Gores Group...
, where she provided daily local news reports to a number of radio stations throughout Alabama. She also worked as a traffic reporter for FOX6 News’ Daybreak and Good Day Alabama, and as a traffic and news reporter for COX Radio stations, 95.7 JAMZ, 98.7 KISS FM, and Heaven 610 WAGG.
Tara anchored MY68’s entertainment news segment, Tara Talk and Tara's Takes, and had her own feature segment as an entertainment reporter for CW21 News at Nine before moving to Los Angeles to work as a TV host. She has worked aS on-air talent for GemsTV, KDOC-TV Los Angeles, and now ownes her own production company, salesRUSH. The company produces content for TV stations, and reality TV shows, and includes media buying, publication and internet divisions.