Her million-dollar smile and self-described "deep" voice welcome you home after a long, hellish commute in South Florida traffic.
Since 1999, Trina Robinson has been giving locals their daily dose of news — first as a meteorologist (she was the first African-American to hold a TV weather position in South Florida) and now as co-anchor of the 5:30 p.m. news on NBC 6.
What does she love about living here?
"Mostly the weather," Robinson admits. "Like anybody else, I could do without the 90-degree temperatures and the crazy humidity in the summers. But now that we're in November, you hit the sweet spot as why it's so fabulous to live here: You can be outside every day; you don't have to worry about snow — I have a total aversion to snow."
So it's no surprise that when NBC 6 came calling, the D.C. native, who was working at the local CBS station in Philadelphia, took the job.
"It was a really active hurricane season," she recalls. "I was just supposed to fly in and do the weather on the weekends and fly back out. I loved it so much I never left."
Robinson soon became a household name. But unlike colleagues who leave for jobs at places like the Weather Channel, Robinson chose to remain local.
"I wear like ten hats," she says. "I was in weather and eventually I was the morning anchor for a number of years. Then we started a 4 p.m. newscast and I went to that. Then I did the afternoon entertainment show when it was called South Florida Today. When Comcast [which acquired NBCUniversal in 2011] came in, the new managers asked me to anchor the news full-time. But I'm also the consumer reporter at the station; I do investigations — I've got a complex job that keeps it new and exciting every day."
Robinson has made sure that in addition to being the face of the station, she also gives back to the community. Her main charity, Do the Right Thing, through the City of Miami Police Department, helps recognize children who exemplify good behavior and accomplishments.
"So often I think... straight-A students get the accolades, but a lot of kids who are struggling are never recognized when they make that turnaround. That's what Do the Right Thing does."
She's also involved in Dress for Success Miami, the Hypoglycemia Foundation, Embrace Girls Foundation, Not My Daughter, and many other charities. Robinson has become a role model for young girls — especially in South Florida, where poverty among blacks is high.
"I think by default you're a role model because you are there and you are in a position that people admire. I try to be a good role model."
