AS A NATIVE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, Nancy O'Dell brings a bit of Southern Charm to the West Coast on Access Hollywood each week.  With her beautiful smile and friendly demeanor, she has become a favorite of fans across the country.  But her beauty is equally matched by her intelligence, which is no surprise to her college classmates at Clemson University, where she graduated with summa cum laude honors.  She was also the youngest member ever to be inducted into the South Carolina Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame in 1998 because of her journalistic rise in the ranks.

O'Dell began her career in her hometown of Myrtle Beach, S.C. before moving on to Charleston and then Miami before she made it into living rooms across the world on "Access Hollywood."  She has won the Associated Press Awards, been nominated for seven Emmy Awards, and has  received two Society of Professional Journalists Awards.  She has also been a contributing reporter to "The Today Show" and "Dateline" and has covered The Oscars., The Grammy's, and The Golden Globe Awards.  In addition, she is a member of the Academy of Country Music, was the original Nashville Star host and consulting producer, and co-hosted the Tournament of Roses Parade for eight years.  O'Dell has appeared on CBS's "The Late Late Show", "Jimmy Kimmel Live", "The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch", "Larry King Live", "Martha Stewart", and ABC's "The View".

But there is more depth within Nancy O'Dell.  With each life experience, she reaches deeper into her community to make a difference.  She has embraced the March of Dimes campaign as a national spokesperson since 1998. March of Dimes aims to provide all babies with a chance to have healthy starts. She is also a celebrity ambassador for ChildHelp USA." 

She also is on the International Board for Best Buddies, which reaches out to people with mental disabilities.  Her interest in this organization was sparked by her Aunt Ellen who had Down Syndrome and was personally touched by this group.  In addition, O'Dell became a celebrity cabinet member for the American Red Cross after personally experience Hurricanes Hugo and Andrew while working in Charleston , South Carolina and Miami, Florida.

But when she's not working, O'Dell focuses on the most important thing - her family, which includes her husband Keith Zubchevich; his two stepsons, Tyler and Carson; and their baby, Ashby, who was a gift to her family on her father's birthday, June 11 of last year.

It can be said that some people just seem to make living look good, and O'Dell is a testament to that.  This is a woman who takes life by the hand and creates a waltz at every turn.  She even met her husband in a security line at Burbank Airport.  As we say in the South, "Now that's making lemonade out of lemons."