Tom Hillen joined the News 8 team in July 2010 as an editor and photojournalist for Weekend Daybreak. It wasn’t long before Tom took his talents to the other side of the camera and began reporting for Weekend Daybreak and then for News 8 Daybreak during the week. Tom has worked nearly every shift since then but ended up back on team Daybreak as the first ever traffic anchor at News 8.
In fall 2023, Tom made the jump from anchoring News 8 at Noon to joining Rachael Ruiz as co-host of the lifestyle show “eightWest.”
Tom is a graduate of Central Michigan University’s School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts and anchored for News Central 34 while in college.
Even though he graduated from CMU, Tom is an avid Michigan State fan and has had the opportunity to cover the Spartans in the NCAA basketball tournament and the 2013 Big Ten Football Championship.
Tom has also covered the Detroit Tigers in the World Series and reported from Florida when Tropical Storm Debby hit.
Tom is a West Michigan native. He grew up in Walker and attended Kenowa Hills Public Schools.
He loves to travel and has been to all 50 states in the country as well as more than a dozen countries around the world.
Tom is an uncle of five nephews and a niece. He is also a Westsider and proud member of the robust Polish community of West Michigan.
