Rachel Van Gilder has been the digital executive producer for WOODTV.com since 2019.
A native of mid-Michigan, Rachel graduated from the University of Michigan in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in English. During her time in Ann Arbor, she was the editorial page editor for The Michigan Daily student newspaper. After graduating, she worked in the Office of Foundation Liaison in Lansing.
She joined WOOD TV8 as a digital producer in September 2011. During her time with News 8, she has helped cover the death of Walker Police Department Officer Trevor Slot; the disappearance of Jessica Heeringa and subsequent murder trials of Jeffrey Willis; the August 2016 tornado outbreak in West Michigan, the 2016 Kalamazoo shooting spree; the bicycle crash near Kalamazoo that killed five people; coronavirus in Michigan, with special emphasis on tracking data; the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; the death of Kalamazoo County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Ryan Proxmire; and the April 2022 killing of Patrick Lyoya in Grand Rapids, which resulted in a murder charge against a Grand Rapids police officer.
