8. Dolly Parton Cake Mix - Andrea Darlas

Andrea Darlas is an emmy-nominated TV and radio reporter. Born in Oak Lawn and raised in Orland Park, Darlas joined WGN in 1997 after four years at WJOL 1340-AM and the former WLLI in Joliet. Starting in 2011 she worked part-time as a free-lance reporter for WGN-Channel 9.

In addition to winning two Peter Lisagor Awards for her radio and television work from the Chicago Headline Club and five Silver Dome Awards for best newscast from the Illinois Broadcasters Association, Darlas was named best reporter by the IBA Silver Dome Awards in 2017.

After more than 21 years as a journalist, Andrea started in 2019 as senior director of constituent engagement at her alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She leads the university’s engagement and outreach efforts throughout the metropolitan area and serve as public affairs and media liaison.

She’s added podcasting to her projects. Chicago’s WLS 890 AM added “Show and Tell with Andrea Darlas.” The weekly podcast showcases various Windy City attractions, including cultural experiences, plays, museums, and musicals.

In 2019, Darlas was inducted into the WGN Radio Walk of Fame.