Your eyes aren’t deceiving you.

There are, indeed, several new faces on KXAN’s newscasts.

Austin’s NBC affiliate has restaffed after several high-profile departures late last year and early this year, adding a slew of fresh-faced reporters, news anchors, sportscasters and weathercasters.

Rather than me telling you all about the new hires, I decided to let them introduce themselves in their own words.

Robert Maxwell, weekday morning and noon news anchor

• Hometown: Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
• College: Carleton University
• Previous station: KTVX in Salt Lake City
• What’s the best part of your job?: I adore the idea of sharing stories that relate to people’s everyday lives. I live in Central Texas, too, so what is important to my neighbors and friends is of course important to me. We’re one community. And I love the fact I can help reflect the community onto itself every morning. It’s a privilege to help people start their day, being that person who lets them know all is well from overnight, or if it isn’t, how to realistically process that information.
• What do you like best so far about Austin?: The green spaces are amazing! My family likes to hike and rock climb, and there is no shortage of great spots to explore in town and in the Hill Country, too. I’d say the fantastic choice of restaurants and music venues, but that’s obvious, right?

Mark Monstrola, weekday morning and noon weathercaster

• Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
• College: Penn State
• Previous station: WFMJ in Youngstown, Ohio
• What’s the best part of your job?: It is something different every day. Every show has its own feel.
• What do you like best so far about Austin?: Austin is a large city with a small-town feel. I love that, and the amount of things to do ANY day of the week.

Brent Carney, weekend sports anchor

• Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.
• College: Saint Louis University
• Previous station: WLEX in Lexington, Ky.
• What’s the best part of your job?: For starters, getting to spend every day working in and around sports is pretty great. This is an awesome place to be if you like to cover sports. Obviously, Austin is home to one of the biggest collegiate programs in the country, plus there are so many professional teams nearby. But for me, what sets Austin apart is its link to so many of the sports that traditionally get less mainstream coverage. For example, the number of Olympic athletes with ties to this place is pretty amazing. Those guys plus F1, Lance Armstrong, the great high school football … there’s never a dull moment.
• What do you like best so far about Austin?: There’s always something new to do. Everyone you meet has a different restaurant, live music spot or bar that they say you have to check out.

David Yeomans, weekend morning weathercaster

• Hometown: Austin
• College: University of Miami (Florida)
• Previous station: KXAN is my first station. I was lucky enough to get this job straight out of graduate school.
• What’s the best part of your job?: Meteorology has been my lifelong passion. I am very fortunate to be able to apply that passion every day to help people plan their day.
• What do you like best so far about Austin?: Having gone to high school in Austin, I was thrilled to be able to come back. I love the friendly people, live music, wake-surfing on Lake Austin and mountain biking in the greenbelt.

Angie Beavin, news reporter

• Hometown: Lexington, Ky.
• College: University of Kentucky
• Previous station: WKYT in Lexington, Ky.
• What’s the best part of your job?: The best part about my job is going out into the Austin area every day because I meet new people and I’m forced to learn my way around a new city.
• What do you like best so far about Austin?: I’m learning I love a lot about Austin. So far, my favorite things are the warm weather lasting into the fall, all of the good, local restaurants, and things like the hike-and-bike trail and the Barton Creek Greenbelt. It’s impossible to have nothing to do!

Chris Tavarez, sports reporter

• Hometown: Spring
• College: University of Texas
• Previous station: KLBK in Lubbock
• What’s the best part of your job?: The people I get to work with. They’re always pushing me and helping me get better.
• What do you like best so far about Austin?: It feels like home. I have so many friends here. I lived here for four years when I was going to school, and I’m close to my family in the Houston area. I also love everything the city has to offer: great sports to cover, awesome entertainment and beautiful scenery from the lakes to the Hill Country.

Read my blog at austin360.com/tvblog or follow @gdinges on Twitter to get the latest updates on local radio and TV stations.