Dana Williams is a reporter and fill-in anchor at NBC 7 San Diego, where she has spent the past seven years serving in multiple newsroom roles, including digital multimedia journalist, assignment editor, and story producer. Her career reflects a deep commitment to modern storytelling — on traditional broadcast platforms and across emerging social and streaming media.
Dana’s reporting has reached national audiences across NBCUniversal platforms including MSNBC, NBC New York, Weekend Today, NBC LocalX, and Dateline: True Crime Weekly, where she discussed her in-depth coverage of the Ali Abulaban murder trial — widely known as the “TikTok murder” case.
In 2025, Dana traveled to support teams at NBC Los Angeles during coverage of the historic and deadly Eaton and Palisades Fires. Reporting from Altadena, she told stories from the front lines — from neighborhoods still smoldering as utility crews worked to secure gas lines, to families sifting through rubble in search of cherished mementos.
Dana is a two-time Emmy Award winner. In June 2025, she received an Emmy for overall achievement in reporting, recognizing her body of work over the previous year. She also earned an Emmy for her contribution to coverage of the 2020 protests and unrest in La Mesa. In addition, she has received multiple honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, including awards for Social Media Personality and Social Media Storytelling.
Passionate about the evolution of journalism, Dana is committed to engaging audiences in innovative and non-traditional ways. She also cares deeply about mentoring the next generation of journalists, having led the internship program at NBC 7 and Telemundo 20 for four years.
A Magna Cum Laude graduate of Point Loma Nazarene University, Dana earned her bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism in 2019. During her time there, she served two years as editor-in-chief of the university newspaper and interned on the assignment desk at ABC 7 News Bay Area (KGO).
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dana moved to San Diego for college and quickly fell in love with the community she now serves. She is proud to call America’s Finest City home and honored to share the stories that matter most to its residents.
The Latest
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USS Theodore Roosevelt deploys from San Diego toward Middle East
The San Diego-based aircraft carrier deployed Sunday as USS Abraham Lincoln nears the end of a historic deployment lasting more than 300 days.
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Four rapes incidents, 1 sexual assault reported at CSU San Marcos within a month
The first six weeks of the fall semester at universities across the nation are often called the “Red Zone”, due to a heightened risk of campus sexual violence, reports NBC 7’s Dana Williams.
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San Diego police ramp up enforcement at Central Library following recent violent crimes
Community members have noted problems involving public drinking, illicit narcotics activity, assaults and other complaints in or around the Central Library.
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Casi 500 cabras llegan a la base aérea de Miramar para prevenir incendios forestales
Un programa piloto está utilizando 471 cabras para limpiar la maleza seca y reducir el riesgo de incendios forestales en la base militar de San Diego.
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Almost 500 goats arrive at MCAS Miramar as eco-friendly wildfire tool
A pilot program is using 471 goats to clear dry brush and reduce wildfire risk on the San Diego military base
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Before 9/11, 3 Pentagon hijackers spent time in San Diego
FBI investigations after 9/11 examined the San Diego ties of three hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 77.
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Teen girl aided San Diego mosque shooters from North Carolina, prosecutors say
A multi-agency investigation found evidence the teen girl worked with the two teenage shooters to record and disseminate a livestream of the attack, District Attorney Jim O’Neill said.
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Sapporo USA to wind down Stone Brewing-branded operations in Escondido
Sapporo USA plans to lay off 50 workers as it begins winding down Stone Brewing’s Escondido brewery and bistro operations.
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DraftKings launches prediction platform in California despite sports betting ban
DraftKings is now available in California through prediction markets, which are regulated differently from traditional sports betting.
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El USS Lincoln vuelve a San Diego tras la llegada de su reemplazo en Medio Oriente
Esta decisión se produce en un momento en que han crecido las preocupaciones sobre el prolongado despliegue del Lincoln, incluidos informes sobre el estrés de la tripulación y problemas de salud mental.
