Garvin Thomas is a reporter, photographer, editor, and fill-in anchor for NBC Bay Area News. He produces stories under the station's Bay Area Proud banner. They are positive, inspirational stories about the people, groups, and companies making the Bay Area, and the world, a better place to live.
Garvin has more than twenty-five years experience working in television news, having spent time working in Boston, Berlin, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles before coming to the Bay Area in 2004.
Garvin started out at NBC Bay Area as a general assignment reporter, but his responsibilities and skills have grown over the years. In addition to writing and reporting, he also shoots and edits all his own stories. He also fills in as an anchor for NBC Bay Area’s morning, evening, and weekend newscasts.
Garvin has received national awards for his reporting and photography. Garvin won the 2013 Sigma Delta Chi Award from the Society of Professional Journalists for the best feature reporting in the country's 50 largest television markets. In 2014 Garvin won the Gabriel Award, given out by the Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals for feature reporting in the top 25 markets. Garvin has also won more than a dozen regional awards for his reporting and photography, including seven Emmy Awards.
Garvin, his wife Karen and their three children live in the South Bay.
If there is someone or some group you think would make for a great Bay Area Proud story, you can email Garvin at garvin.thomas@nbcuni.com, or connect with him on social media: on Twitter @GarvinThomas, on Instagram @GarvinThomasNBC and on Facebook.
The Latest
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Saving wildlife, healing veterans: East Bay vet's unique nonprofit changing lives on 2 continents
Since starting Warriors for African Wildlife, Brad Craven has taken five groups of veterans to help train wildlife rangers to combat poaching.
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South Bay teen's wildlife photos getting recognized, rewarded
The photographs Parham Pourahmad has been taking around the South Bay are winning awards around the world.
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Diagnosed with disease he studied, Stanford doctor puts his personal story at center of new class
Dr. Bryant Lin is hoping his cancer journey can be a teaching moment for future physicians.
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From acrobat to animal rescuer: A South Bay ranch owner's remarkable journey
Matt Roben and his wife Emily first started rescuing animals in their small Chicago backyard. They now have more than 200 on their 12-acre San Jose ranch.
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‘It's magic': South Bay dual day care brings children, adults with dementia together
Staff at San Jose’s Hearts and Minds Activity Center say their daily intergenerational activities benefit both their young and not-so-young clients.
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Thanks to local production of Broadway musical, North Bay WWI vet finally gets gravestone, recognition
It was Maeve Smith’s production of “The Hello Girls” in Sonoma earlier this year that ultimately led to Juliette Cortial Smith’s burial site being properly marked.
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The sewing machine maven: South Bay woman nurses broken machines back to life for refugee families
Pat Vandermolen says the work to repair more than 50 sewing machines has not only benefited refugee families, but has helped her heal from trauma from her time as a nurse in the Vietnam War.
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Oakland stylist returns to her roots to inspire next generation
Professional stylist Ariel Mei Gilliam is teaching young people in Oakland the basics of fashion. She hopes they take away much more than just that.
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Oakland man gets long overdue recognition and thanks for years of work beautifying city
For 12 years, Daniel Burns quietly cleaned and landscaped a stretch of Frontage Road in West Oakland. Then he opened a TikTok account.
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South Bay personal trainer helps client with Down syndrome achieve bodybuilding dream
Samuel Hinojosa worked with Mike Shmakov for years preparing for his competitive debut.
