Evening Anchor, WWLP-22 News

When Ciara Speller thinks back to 2023, she remembers a bittersweet year.

That’s the year she was elected to 40 Under Forty due to her success at WWLP-22 News — not just in front of the camera, but also away from it, with all the preparation, writing, editing, and more that goes into airing a newscast every weeknight — as well as her work in the community.

But her father, who was battling a rare form of bile duct cancer called cholangiocarcinoma, couldn’t attend the 40 Under Forty gala that June.

“He wanted to make it to the awards, but unfortunately he was too sick to make it. But he came down with my mom that weekend, so when I got home, I got to tell him all about it,” she recalled. “That was my last award that he saw.”

Ciara Speller when she was named to the 40 Under Forty class of 2023

That’s because Jeffrey Speller passed away just a few months later.

Ciara knew she wanted to turn her grief into something meaningful and impactful. So she and her mother launched the Jeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change’ in his honor. Having raised and donated more than $50,000 over the past two years, the foundation’s mission is centered around creating opportunities for underserved youth to participate in golf programs. 

“He was an avid golfer who had a dream of providing resources for economically challenged youth,” Speller explained. “Golf is a really expensive sport. His own father passed away when he was a child, unfortunately, so he never got to experience the game until he could afford to do so as an older adult.

“He really credited golf with positively shaping his life, allowing him to climb up the corporate ladder, meeting so many great people — both in business and as friends,” she went on. “Golf is one of those sports that creates amazing partnerships and connections. And he said, ‘how great would it be if our underserved and economically challenged youth were exposed to the game at a younger age? Imagine what their lives could be.’”

These days, Speller doesn’t have to imagine — she’s already impacting those young lives through the game.

The foundation’s main fundraiser is an annual tournament that started with 80 golfers its first year, and will assemble 140 for the third annual event this Aug. 8 at Wyckoff Country Club in Holyoke — the track where her father’s ashes were scattered under a tree near the first hole.

“Golf is one of those sports that creates amazing partnerships and connections. And he said, ‘how great would it be if our underserved and economically challenged youth were exposed to the game at a younger age? Imagine what their lives could be.’”

That annual fundraiser has turned into a series of donations — to a local middle school golf program, the Springfield Ballers’ golf program, a nonprofit organization called the First Tee, and more, including donations of golf clubs to kids of all ages.

“Our motto is, ‘together, we’re changing lives for good,’” Speller said. “And we’ve expanded to helping families and children in need. For the holidays, we fully decorated a Christmas tree and outfitted it with gift cards — that landed with a mother who has cancer as well, somebody who understands what we went through, whose family is going through the same thing. Just to give them a little holiday cheer was amazing.”

Speller is also a dedicated cholangiocarcinoma advocate in other ways. In February, she spearheaded an awareness event and flag raising in Springfield, bringing the community together to honor those impacted by the disease; as part of the initiative, several landmarks across the city were illuminated in green. That same month, the Jeffrey Speller Foundation ‘4 Change’ hosted a celebrity bartending event, raising $10,000 to support patients, families, and programs in her father’s memory.

All that is deeply gratifying, but so is Speller’s career anchoring the weeknight newscast at WWLP, for which she recently received a Merit Award from the Massachusetts Broadcasters Assoc. for her feature story on internationally acclaimed fashion designer (and Springfield native) Justin Haynes. In her role as anchor, she has reported on some of the region’s most impactful events, and has also contributed to the station’s Black history initiatives, hosting and producing segments that highlight the local community.

“I’ve always been a storyteller,” she told BusinessWest. “I have a degree in dance as well, and I found at a young age that I could tell stories with my words and with my emotions — and now, I can bring attention to communities that may not have a light shining on them,” she said, adding that her work often draws the attention of local leaders and decision makers, effecting positive change. “Just being able to highlight the good work that people are doing, the needs of the community, that’s been incredibly impactful.”

Meanwhile, this October, Speller will be honored at the 11th annual 100 Women of Color Gala, which recognizes high-achieving, community-minded women from across Connecticut and Massachusetts — a major recognition, to be sure.

“To think that what I’m doing — what I feel is a regular day in my life — speaks to people, that’s pretty cool,” she added. “And the foundation has become a huge part of who I am and my identity. I’m just happy to keep giving back and making a difference — and I hope to grow more and impact even more people’s lives.”

—Joseph Bednar