WASHINGTON — WUSA9's Bruce Leshan is winding down his career after 28 years.
His reporting has had a tremendous impact on many lives throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Leshan can be proud that he is leaving behind quite a legacy.
And, we at WUSA9 want to thank him.
The year was 1995, and a young reporter hired from a Baltimore station was working hard to gather the facts to deliver the news to viewers with his stellar storytelling skills.
"Nobody knew what channel 45 was until you got there. You did a great job there and they bought you to channel 9," said former colleague David Ewing.
Former colleague and now executive producer at MSNBC Catherine Snyder said, "I can think of so many stories where I worked with Bruce and I thought to myself, man is he good."
WUSA9 colleague Adam Longo said, "He knows how to get to the heart of the story."
"You always get the well written facts from Bruce, the who, what, where and how," said his former colleague Gary Nurenberg.
"I don't know how many times I've watched a Bruce Leshan story and you're just left speechless," said WUSA9 Anchor and colleague Lorenzo Hall.
Bruce is a journeyman journalist who has spent decades mastering his craft, covering breaking news at it happens. The big stories about war, social strife, even soul stirring news.
Coworkers said it's a testament to his work ethic. And, they point to his passion for caring about the people in the Washington community.
"You take me to where you've reported the story. You get me involved in the lives of the people you've met," said WUSA9 Executive Producer Scott McCrary.
WUSA9 Executive Producer of Special Projects and Big Events Samara Martin Ewing said, "You are the real deal and I think that's why people trusted you so much in telling their stories."
"You have changed lives. You have made an impact," said WUSA9 Senior Vice President and General Manager Richard Dyer.
His impact reached beyond his reporting outside and made its way into the newsroom. Leshan worked to mentor and guide the next generation of multimedia journalists.
"I can't thank you enough for constantly teaching us how to be great journalists," said former colleague Stephanie Ramirez.
WUSA9 Reporter Matthew Torres said that Bruce was "really just a wealth of knowledge and really a huge help," for him when he first came to work in Washington, D.C.
The shifting winds in the journalism industry has changed how Bruce gathers the news now. These days, he works as a one-man-band multimedia journalist. He shoots, edits, and transmits the final product to microwave for air during newscasts.
"You embraced all of these changes and had an amazing long career," said former colleague Peggy Fox.
"And, I've got you to thank for me carrying all of this stuff!," WUSA9 Scott Broom jokingly said.
Bruce Leshan has been recognized for his journalism excellence, receiving several Emmy and journalism awards for his work.
Now, after 28 years, he's ready to put the camera down, leave the deadline stress behind, and spend more time with his wife Tracy and their children.
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