Jay Cashmere

Born/Raised: Jay was born in New Orleans, LA and grew up 50 miles north of the city in Folsom, LA.

Education: Jay graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Broadcasting and minors in English and Geography.

Work Experience: WJRD (PAX) Tuscaloosa, AL 1998WTOC (CBS) Savannah, GA 1999-2001WPTV (NBC) WPB, FL 2002-Present

Jay has won two Associated Press awards for best reporting and feature reporting. In 2004 he was nominated for a Suncoast Emmy award on “Destructive Tires”. The story focused on an artificial reef which broke apart leaving decades old coral in danger. In December of 2008 Jay won a Suncoast Emmy for “Wounded Warriors.” The piece was shot on location in Bonaire in August of 2007 highlighting a group of single and double amputee soldiers who were diving for the first time since returning from war. The story was aired as part of Jay’s series “Underwater Wednesday’s” which features and promotes stories surrounding coral reef and ocean awareness. That series also earned Jay a community service award from the US Coral Reef Task Force in 2004 for increasing public awareness on coral reef conservation.

Jay has covered a wide range of stories in his career as a journalist. He was one of the first reporters to hit the ground in Haiti hours after the disastrous earthquake of January 2010 and was on the white sand beaches of the Florida panhandle following the devastating Gulf oil spill which eventually took him to the Keys. He covered the most personal story of his career in 2005 when he traveled back home to help his family dig out and recover during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Others that stand out include the ride of his life in 2000 when he flew with the Blue Angel’s in preparation for a South Carolina air show. He’s also covered plenty of ground in the Bahamas and Caribbean diving for his series “Underwater Wednesday’s.” Check out Diving Deeper with Jay Cashmere to see more of his underwater reports and blogs. As an avid diver Jay has drifted in ocean currents over multiple wrecks and reefs in the Keys, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Cayman Islands, Bonaire, St. Thomas, The Dominican Republic and South Florida.

When Jay’s not logging dive time he enjoys golf, exercising and cooking cajun food. On Saturday’s in the fall you can catch him watching Alabama football…Roll Tide! Jay serves as a board member for Forgotten Soldiers Outreach and Easter Seals and helps out several local organizations including the Humane Society of the Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County’s Business Development Board.