Estela Casas, El Paso’s longest-serving broadcast journalist, announced Wednesday that she will be leaving television news to take on a new role as the Executive Director of the University Medical Center Foundation.
Casas has been a primary news anchor at KVIA-TV for nearly 27 years, after ten years of service at three other El Paso television stations.
KVIA general manager Kevin Lovell said, “Estela has been a main reason for ABC-7’s unparalleled success and dominance in the El Paso – Las Cruces market these past two and a half decades.”
Casas was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2010, and with bilateral breast cancer in 2017. She publicly shared personal details of her treatment in both those cases, and says she now wishes to do more to help those less fortunate than she who face significant medical challenges.
Casas launched the “Stand With Estela Fund” which is on pace to raise more than a half million dollars to assist other cancer patients. UMC named the “Estela Casas Infusion Center for Hope & Healing” in her honor after Estela pledged $100,000 from the Stand with Estela Fund to UMCF.
“I found my passion in what was very nearly the ultimate personal tragedy,” Casas said. “These last two years, following my diagnosis, I have a new perspective on how I can most effectively serve our community. And I’ve learned I want to do more to help people who might not have all the resources I did in my cancer journey.”
Casas will finish 2019 at KVIA and begin her new role in January.
“Estela is the perfect fit for our foundation and community,” said Jacob Cintron, President and CEO. “We are extremely lucky to have her join our foundation. She has already improved the lives of many in our community through her support of the Estela Casas Infusion Center for Hope & Healing at UMC. Her new role with us will inspire support for innovative and improved healthcare in our community.”
The UMC Foundation is a component organization of the El Paso County Hospital District.
Additionally, Lovell announced that Stephanie Valle is being promoted to primary news anchor. She and Erik Elken will co-anchor ABC-7’s weeknight newscasts at 5, 6 and 10pm. Valle has been part of the ABC-7 news team for eighteen years. She began as an intern in 2001, and spent nearly ten years on the Good Morning El Paso staff.
After starting as a reporter, she was promoted to morning anchor and Executive Producer. In March 2019, Valle was named the station’s News Operations Manager and ABC-7 at Four anchor. She and her husband, Scott, have two children. She completed the El Paso Marathon last February, and is on the board of directors for Candlelighters, an El Paso organization dedicated to serving children with cancer and their families.
