Dan Cummins’ face is familiar as the Emmy Award-winning WTOL 11 former sports director and he is now seen daily as the noon newscast anchor with Amanda Fay, and on the early evening Fox newscast. He’s also instrumental during WTOL’s Big Board Friday nights.\nBorn and raised in Peoria, Illinois, Dan says he knew early on he wanted to have a career in television sports. After high school, he went to Illinois State University where he earned a BA in Mass Communication. In 2014, he was honored as a “Distinguished Alumni from ISU.”\nDan says he first got a taste of show business when he starred as Charlie Brown in a high school senior play. He says television is all he ever wanted to do. After working as the weekend sports anchor for a station in his hometown of Peoria, he came to WTOL in 1980. He began as a weekend sports anchor and sports reporter at WTOL, then earned a promotion to assistant sports director. Then, when veteran sports anchor Orris Tabner retired in February 1996, Dan became the sports director.\nHis favorite memory while working for WTOL 11 is covering the Fiesta Bowl in which the Buckeyes won the National Championship in overtime. Dan says he worked from 9 a.m. on Friday through 5 a.m. on Saturday doing live reports. He’s covered the World Series, Super Bowl, and Heisman Trophy ceremony.\nDan and his wife Barb have seven children between them. They enjoy four grandchildren He is a workout nut, exercising several days a week.\nMake-A-Wish is special to Dan’s heart. He says the organization was very supportive when his stepson Steven had cancer. Steven has recovered now, but Dan and his family feel a strong commitment to Make-A-Wish. Dan has served on the organization’s board and emcee’s many of the group’s events.\nIn 2012, Dan was inducted into the Toledo City League Athletic Hall of Fame.