Erin Ivory Bio, Age, Husband Demetrius, Family, Salary, WGN-TV Oklahoma 2026

Erin Ivory (born Erin McElroy) is an American Emmy Award-winning journalist who spent 15 years at WGN-TV in Chicago (2011-2026) before leaving in August 2026 to move to Oklahoma City with her family. Her husband, Demetrius Ivory, accepted the chief meteorologist position at KFOR-TV (NBC Oklahoma City), and the couple — with their four children — relocated in a “family-first” decision that ended her long run as a features reporter on the WGN Evening News.

Born in Bellingham, Washington, in 1976, she built her career in Midwest television — South Bend, Rockford, Milwaukee, then Chicago. This biography covers her Washington childhood, her Columbia College Chicago education, her station-hopping early career, her 15-year WGN tenure, her marriage to a fellow WGN meteorologist, her four children, and the 2026 move to Oklahoma.

Quick Facts

Related Names: Erin Ivory, Demetrius Ivory, Joaquin, Lucia, Hardley, Harlow, WGN-TV, KFOR-TV, Chicago, Oklahoma City.

Early Life & Education

Erin Ivory was born Erin McElroy on July 25, 1976, in Bellingham, Washington. Her parents divorced when she was in fifth grade, and she was raised by her mother from that point on. It is unknown whether she has siblings. The divorce and the single-parent household shaped an early independence that later showed up in her career choices — she moved for jobs, she took the hard assignments, and she did not wait for permission to lead a story.

After high school she enrolled at Columbia College Chicago, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism. Columbia College is one of the few specialised arts-and-media colleges in the Midwest, and its journalism programme is built around doing the work — not just studying it. She graduated into a job market that still valued local television, and she entered it at the bottom.

Career Journey

The Midwest Circuit: South Bend, Rockford, Milwaukee

Ivory’s first full-time job was at WDJT-TV in South Bend, Indiana, as a news anchor and general assignment reporter. It is the classic small-market start: you write, shoot, edit, anchor and fill in on weather. She moved to WREX-TV in Rockford, Illinois, where she was a reporter and morning anchor, and helped launch the station’s traffic-reporting webcast CommuterCast in 2007 — an early digital experiment that foreshadowed the multi-platform reality of 2026 local news.

She also anchored at CLTV (Chicagoland Television), the 24-hour cable news channel that served the Chicago suburbs before streaming made it obsolete. Then came WSBT-TV in South Bend again (a return) and a stint in Milwaukee. By the time she applied to WGN-TV in 2011, she had worked in four Midwest markets, anchored mornings and evenings, reported breaking news, and launched a digital traffic product. She was, in industry terms, “ready.”

15 Years at WGN-TV (2011-2026)

She joined WGN-TV in April 2011. For many years she was part of the WGN Morning News team — the high-rated, personality-driven franchise that defines Chicago morning television. In her later years she moved to the WGN Evening News as a features reporter, a role she described as “thoughtfully sharing the stories of everyday people doing amazing and good things throughout Chicagoland.” That phrasing — “thoughtfully sharing,” “everyday people,” “amazing and good things” — is the mission statement of a features reporter who has survived the industry’s contraction by finding the stories that algorithms cannot generate.

She won multiple Emmy Awards for her reports at WGN. The station does not publicise individual trophy counts, but her Emmy recognition is cited in every credible profile. She also spoke conversational Spanish, an asset in a metro area with a large and growing Latino population, and she used it in the field.

The 2026 Move to Oklahoma

In August 2026, Ivory left WGN-TV after 15 years. The catalyst was her husband’s career: Demetrius Ivory, who had been at WGN since 2013 and served as chief meteorologist there, accepted the chief meteorologist position at KFOR-TV, the NBC affiliate in Oklahoma City. The couple — married since December 21, 2014, with four children (Joaquin, Lucia, Hardley, Harlow) — decided to move as a family. Ivory announced the departure on social media, thanking WGN colleagues and Chicago viewers.

As of late 2026, her next professional role has not been publicly announced. She is in Oklahoma City with the family; whether she joins KFOR, works freelance, or takes a break from daily news is not known. Her WGN author page remains live, and her Muck Rack profile lists her as a WGN-TV journalist (historical).

Career Stats

• News anchor / general assignment reporter, WDJT-TV, South Bend, Indiana
• Reporter and morning anchor, WREX-TV, Rockford, Illinois; launched CommuterCast (2007)
• Anchor, CLTV (Chicagoland Television)
• Reporter / anchor, WSBT-TV, South Bend; Milwaukee market
• Features reporter, WGN Evening News, Chicago (April 2011 — August 2026)
• Former WGN Morning News team member
• Multiple Emmy Awards for reporting at WGN
• Conversational Spanish speaker

The Oklahoma City market is smaller than Chicago (DMA rank ~45 vs ~3), but KFOR is a heritage NBC affiliate with a dominant weather brand, and Demetrius Ivory’s hiring signals the station’s commitment to that franchise. For a meteorologist, chief at an NBC affiliate in a severe-weather market is a career peak; for the spouse of that meteorologist, the move is the calculation every two-career broadcast couple eventually faces.

Ivory’s conversational Spanish is an asset that travels. Oklahoma City’s Latino population has grown steadily, and a bilingual reporter who can work the field and the desk is valuable in any market. Whether she joins KFOR, works freelance for multiple outlets, or builds an independent vertical — as many departed local journalists now do — the skill set is portable.

Personal Life

• Marital Status: Married.
• Spouse: Demetrius Ivory, chief meteorologist at KFOR-TV Oklahoma City (formerly WGN-TV Chicago). Married December 21, 2014.
• Children: Four — Joaquin, Lucia, Hardley, Harlow.
• Home: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (since August 2026); formerly Glenview, Illinois (sold for $1.16M in 2024).
• Hometown: Bellingham, Washington.
• Parents: Divorced when she was in fifth grade; raised by mother.
• Interests: Coffee, rice krispie treats, running, Chicago sports (Cubs, Bears, Bulls).

Dating History and Affairs

Ivory has not discussed any relationships before Demetrius Ivory publicly. They met while both working at WGN-TV — she in news, he in weather — and married in a private ceremony on December 21, 2014. No previous partner has been identified in press coverage, and there is no reporting on her dating history prior to Demetrius.

The couple’s professional overlap — two on-air personalities at the same station, in different departments — is common in local television, and they managed it without making their marriage a storyline. The 2026 move, where one spouse’s career advancement drove the family’s relocation, is also a familiar pattern in broadcast journalism couples.

Controversies

No personal scandal, ethics complaint or legal dispute involving Ivory has been reported in a 25-year career. The only public turbulence was the 2024 sale of the couple’s Glenview, Illinois, home for $1.16 million — reported by Windy City Word — which signalled the coming move before it was announced. Some internet commentary speculated about a “shocking divorce” in 2026 based on clickbait headlines; those stories are false. The couple moved together to Oklahoma City as a family unit.

The main inaccuracy in her online record is the persistent use of her maiden name, McElroy, in older profiles. She has been Erin Ivory professionally since her 2014 marriage, and the name appears on her WGN author page, Muck Rack profile and Emmy citations.

Awards & Achievements

• Multiple Emmy Awards for reporting at WGN-TV (exact count not publicised by station)
• 15 years at WGN-TV (April 2011 — August 2026) — a tenure that spans the transition from broadcast-only to multi-platform local news
• Helped launch CommuterCast, an early traffic-reporting webcast, at WREX-TV (2007)
• Worked in four Midwest markets before landing at Chicago’s “superstation”
• Conversational Spanish — an asset in Chicago’s diverse communities

Physical Statistics

• Height: Private
• Weight: Private
• Hair Color: Blonde
• Eye Color: Private
• Build: Average

Quotes

No verified direct quotations from Erin Ivory suitable for citation could be located in freely accessible sources, so this biography does not invent any. Her voice is best heard in her WGN features — the “everyday people doing amazing things” segments — and in her social media announcement of the 2026 move, where she thanked Chicago for 15 years.

Favorites

• City (former): Chicago — 15 years, four children raised there
• City (current): Oklahoma City — new chapter
• Food: Rice krispie treats (self-described staple)
• Drink: Coffee (self-described fuel)
• Sports: Chicago Cubs, Bears, Bulls

Earnings

Erin Ivory’s salary and net worth are not publicly disclosed. WGN-TV (Nexstar Media Group) does not publish individual talent pay. A features reporter at a major-market station with 15 years’ tenure and multiple Emmys typically earns in the low-to-mid six figures, but contracts are private. The figures on biography sites are unsourced estimates.

Her husband Demetrius Ivory’s move to KFOR-TV as chief meteorologist likely came with a significant salary increase — chief meteorologists at NBC affiliates in top-50 markets command strong compensation — but the family’s combined income is not public.

Interesting Facts

• She was born Erin McElroy in Bellingham, Washington — not Chicago.
• Her parents divorced when she was in fifth grade; she was raised by her mother.
• She helped launch a traffic-reporting webcast (CommuterCast) in 2007 — early digital news.
• She spent 15 years at WGN-TV, one of the longest tenures on the current staff.
• She and Demetrius Ivory are a rare two-anchor household at the same station (news + weather).
• They sold their Glenview, Illinois, home for $1.16M in 2024, signalling the move.
• She left WGN in August 2026 for Oklahoma City — a family-first decision.

Did You Know Already?

• Her maiden name is McElroy; she has been Erin Ivory since 2014.
• She has four children: Joaquin, Lucia, Hardley, Harlow.
• Demetrius Ivory is now chief meteorologist at KFOR-TV (NBC Oklahoma City).
• She won multiple Emmys at WGN, but the station doesn’t publicise the count.
• She speaks conversational Spanish.
• Her WGN author page and Muck Rack profile remain active as of 2026.

Social Media Links

• X (Twitter): @Erin_Ivory_
• WGN Author Page: wgntv.com/author/erin-ivory
• Muck Rack: muckrack.com/erin-ivory
• Demetrius Ivory (KFOR): kfor.com/weather/staff/demetrius-ivory

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Erin Ivory built a 15-year career at one of America’s great local television stations, won Emmys telling stories about “everyday people doing amazing things,” and then walked away when her family’s next chapter required it. The move to Oklahoma City is not an ending — it is a reporter’s instinct to follow the story, even when the story is her own. If you found this biography helpful, please share it with fellow Chicago journalism and broadcast news fans!