Tricia Kritzler Sloma

Inducted – April 2020
Hardin Northern Class of 1987
Occupation: Co-anchor WNDU-TV’s “16 Morning News” South Bend Indiana

Tricia (Kritzler) Sloma is an Emmy-award winning broadcaster who got her start as a Hardin Northern Polar Bear. The 1987 HN graduate was very active in FFA, winning three state FFA public speaking titles and competing at the National FFA convention. She was Governor of Buckeye Girls State and a delegate to Girls Nation. She was also active in art, band, and basketball.  This former homecoming queen and swine showmanship champion credits her participation in FFA public speaking, 4H, and the Hardin County Fair as the foundation for her successful broadcasting career.

Tricia started working at WKTN radio in Kenton while in high school and was hired by broadcast legend Ed Johnson at the ABN (Agri-Broadcasting Network) while in college at The Ohio State University.  Tricia earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural communications from The Ohio State University in 1990.

Tricia began her television career as a production assistant and reporter for the nationally syndicated agricultural news program, AgDay. The show was produced by WNDU-TV, a local NBC affiliate in South Bend, Indiana.   Tricia moved to South Bend after her college graduation and marriage to her college sweetheart, Tom Sloma.

Tricia joined WNDU in 1993 as a reporter and shortly after, became the anchor of WNDU’s morning show, a position she still holds to this day.  A six-time Emmy nominee, she won her Emmy for current affairs programming in 2018 for an in-depth report on child abuse.  Her reporting has been honored by the Indiana Broadcasters Association and the Indiana Associated Press.  Most recently, Tricia and her station became advocates for changes to Indiana school bus safety laws after the tragic deaths of three siblings at their rural bus stop. Lawmakers approved the upgrades and the new laws went into effect this school year.

Tricia and her husband Tom have two grown daughters, Cassie and Carrie. Cassie works in advertising in Chicago and Carrie is a junior at Purdue University.  Tricia is the daughter of Richard Kritzler (HN ’61) and Patricia (Bloom) Kritzler.  Her sister is Tami (Kritzler) Hastings (HN ’84).   She attended HN along with many relatives as students, friends, and teachers.

“I am grateful for my upbringing,” said Tricia.  “The hard work ethic, positive attitude, deep faith, and good humor is something I treasure from my family and the Hardin Northern community.”