By LINDA McALPINE - GM Today Staff

January 17, 2008

Carmen De La Paz, who grew up in Waukesha, is now a well-known television personality who will be appearing Saturday morning on NBCﾕs weekend edition of the Today show.

WAUKESHA - Waukesha resident Carmen De La Paz will be glued to her television set early Saturday morning to watch her daughter, also named Carmen De La Paz, on the Today show.

"She’s my star whether she’s on TV or not," she said of her daughter, who was raised in Waukesha.

Carmen De La Paz, 41, now of Los Angeles, is an accomplished television personality, appearing on the cable channel HGTV in a home makeover show entitled "Hammer Heads."

"I will be demonstrating power tools for women and all the cool new gadgets to make life easier," Carmen De La Paz said of her pending appearance on the Today show. "The show will be live, so it will be exciting."

She also plans to mention that she was raised in Waukesha, said her mother.

"She told me she is going to say on live television that she is from Waukesha, Wisconsin," De La Paz’s mother said. "She is very proud of being from Waukesha, and we are very proud of her."

Carmen De La Paz was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but she grew up here. The younger Carmen De La Paz is comfortable in front of the camera - she was the hostess of the Fox network’s children’s show "The DJ KAT Show," appears with actor John Lithgow in "Paloozaville" on the cable channel Magrack and "Ideas Para La Casa" on the Spanish version of the Discovery Channel.

She has a long list of talents, including interior designer, carpenter, decorative painter and professional cook that she has made into a successful career.

She also has worked behind the scenes at Warner Bros. as director of operational communications and director of TV publicity.

De La Paz, known for her Puerto Rican cuisine, worked as the Puerto Rican food stylist for an award-winning film entitled "Almost A Woman," produced by PBS.

In 2005, De La Paz was honored by the National Latina Business Women’s Association with a nomination, recognizing her many years as a visible Latina in the entertainment industry.

Carmen De La Paz’s mother said her daughter has always been something of a performer, having participated in choir and drama even as a child.

"It’s a very good feeling to see her on television," her mother said.

Carmen De La Paz said that after the death of her father in 2003 and a bout with depression, she sat down and wrote out a five-year plan for her life.

"I think destiny and opportunity are coming together," she said. "This is the fifth year of my plan, and I have a feeling this is going to be a great year."

Linda McAlpine can be reached at lmcalpine@conleynet.com