Former TV anchor Monica Pearson stays busy in her ‘rewirement’

Monica Pearson no longer graces metro Atlanta’s TV screens nightly, but she remains a significant presence on the local landscape. Pearson arrived in Atlanta after TV and newspaper reporting jobs in her native Louisville and became the first African American and the first woman to anchor a major Atlanta evening newscast, at WSB-TV in 1975. After a 37-year career, countless major stories and a veritable truckload of awards, she stepped away in 2012.

Nowadays, she keeps busy doing radio endorsements, accepting some-but not allspeaking engagements, handling voice acting for various clients from her own home studio and exercising religiously. She still moves at a rapid pace, but slowed down long enough to chat recently with Atlanta Senior Life contributor Mark Woolsey.

Q. What are you doing these days as a retired person?

A. I am not retired, I’m rewired. I call what I do “rewirement” and here’s the reason: I have to stay active to keep my mind sharp. In my rewirement, I’m doing things I want to do versus things I have to do, meaning I will say no to some organizations [who want her to get involved with or speak to their memberships]. I’m doing things I couldn’t do as a journalist -- endorsing companies and places, things like Stone Mountain, which is somewhat controversial at times, but they’re also companies I use. I’m also putting together a website to speak my mind on things I