Yolanda Gaskins, Executive Media Consultant, is a veteran television and radio journalist, newscaster, producer, media consultant and trainer whose professional experience includes anchor positions at CNN, NBC News and E! Entertainment Television. Her media experience also includes television show host and reporter positions with Viacom, Fox Television, and CBS.

A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Yolanda began her adventure in broadcasting as the Washington, D.C. host of the nationally syndicated show, “PM Magazine.” She then went on to host other similar shows and eventually became a show host and senior producer for Black Entertainment Television. There she was responsible for the networks first (and highly successful) magazine show. Yolanda left the network when offered a position as entertainment reporter in Miami, Florida with the NBC affiliate, WTVJ. She next landed a job in Los Angeles with the newly established E! Entertainment Television. There she handled numerous assignments including anchoring, interviewing tons of celebrities and working on a variety of Hollywood entertainment features.

Eager to tap into her background as an attorney, in the early 90’s, Yolanda incorporated talk radio into her media portfolio when she was approached to go on the air at the legendary KABC- AM. There she spent many years honing her talk host skills in a three - hour daily show. Her evening shift allowed her the freedom for a little fun during the day so she found an agent (as everyone does in LA) and the next thing she knew, she was a regular on the soap opera, “The Bold and The Beautiful.”

It was one of many television and film roles that she would land during her ten-year stint in Los Angeles.  A typical day could find her playing any one of a variety of roles but, in true, Hollywood fashion, she was most often cast to play a news reporter.  The irony, of course, is that after acting as a reporter, she would often have to run to another location and actually be a reporter. As they say, “Only in LA.”

In the late 90’s, the General Manager of a major Dallas radio station was vacationing in Los Angeles. He heard Yolanda on the air and made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.  She moved to Dallas as the mid-day host for KLIF-AM and became the first woman to host a regular daytime on air position at that station.  While in Dallas, Yolanda began working with a number of pubic relations firms. Her specialty was training their clients to help them with a variety of broadcast and media issues.  She expanded her media training and began working with leaders in the public and private sectors throughout the area and successfully trained executive for clients like the IT giant, Texas Instruments. She remained in Dallas for several years before returning to her native Washington, D.C. in late 2003 to deal with very familiar issues of an aging family.

Back in Washington, Yolanda was immediately asked to host her own talk show on XM Satellite Radio. For the next three years, Yolanda focused on helping her listeners realize their entrepreneurial dreams.  The show featured a parade of talented experts from a variety of backgrounds including financial, human resources, psychologists, physicians and more.

Washington, D.C. has presented tremendous opportunities for the expansion of her media training business, Gaskins Media Works. She is proud to serve the business community in her hometown and around the country on a variety of media training and communications projects.

Yolanda is a published author and her wisdom, sense of humor and joie de vivre make her a much sought after moderator, presenter and speaker.