| Renee Chenault-Fattah | |
| Birthname: | Renée Yvette Chenault |
| Birth Date: | 1957 10, mf=yes |
| Birth Place: | Littleton, Colorado, U.S. |
| Education: | University of Missouri University of Pennsylvania Law School Johns Hopkins University |
| Occupation: | NBC 10 (Philadelphia, PA) News Anchor |
| Alias: | Renee Y. Chenault[1] |
| NBC 10 News Anchor | |
| Spouse: | Chaka Fattah |
| Children: | Cameron Chenault Chandler Fattah |
Renee Chenault-Fattah (born October 12, 1957) is an American journalist and former co-anchor of the WCAU NBC 10 News at 4 and 6 p.m. on weeknights in Philadelphia.[2] She worked as a lawyer in New York City in the 1980s.[3] She is married to former U.S. Representative Chaka Fattah of the 2nd Congressional District of Pennsylvania.[4]
Chenault-Fattah majored in political science at Johns Hopkins University, and went on to earn her J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She worked at Hughes Hubbard & Reed, a law firm in New York, and then clerked for Judge Damon Keith of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She then began her media career, earning a master's degree in journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri.
Chenault-Fattah joined WCAU, then the Philadelphia CBS TV affiliate, in September 1991, and served as an anchor and a reporter. After a few years anchoring the noon broadcast with Tim Lake, she was promoted to the 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. news in March 1995. By then, WCAU had become the NBC affiliate in Philadelphia. In 2003, Lake joined Chenault as co-anchor at 4 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m., after she had spent 8 years co-anchoring newscasts at 6 and 11, first with Ken Matz and then with Larry Mendte.
The criminal case involving her husband, Congressman Chaka Fattah, made it increasingly difficult for Chenault-Fattah to continue as an anchor, and she went on leave for seven months following his indictment. Ultimately, she left the station on February 24, 2016.[5] Although she was mentioned in a business dealing of her husband's, Chenault-Fattah was never charged with anything in connection with the activities that ultimately led to his conviction.
Chenault-Fattah serves on the board of trustees of Johns Hopkins University.[6]
After serving for several years on its board of directors, Chenault-Fattah was named Executive Director of Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity, a non-profit dedicated to assisting low-income Philadelphians in overcoming hurdles caused by past criminal records.[7]
Chenault-Fattah was named to the PoliticsPA list of "Sy Snyder's Power 50" list of influential individuals in Pennsylvania politics in 2002.[8] She was also named to the PoliticsPA list of "Pennsylvania's Most Politically Powerful Women"[9]
The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia inducted Chenault-Fattah into their Hall of Fame in 2009.[10]
Chenault-Fattah is the third wife of Pennsylvania politician Chaka Fattah, and they have a daughter together named Chandler Fattah. Two and a half years prior to marrying Fattah, Chenault-Fattah had a daughter named Cameron Chenault through artificial insemination. She is stepmother to Frances ("Fran") Fattah, and Chaka Fattah Jr., known as "Chip" (31 years old in March 2015).[11] [12]