Estela Casas, El Paso's longest-serving broadcast journalist, is saying goodbye to TV news.

Casas announced Wednesday she will be the executive director of the University Medical Center Foundation. Casas will finish 2019 at Channel 7-KVIA and will begin her new role in January.

“Estela is the perfect fit for our foundation and community,” said Jacob Cintron, president and CEO of the El Paso County Hospital District, of which the UMC Foundation is a component. “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.”

Casas has been a primary news anchor at KVIA for nearly 27 years, after 10 years of service at three other El Paso television stations, according to a news release.

“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,” said KVIA general manager Kevin Lovell.

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.

She launched the Stand With Estela Fund, which is set 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 she pledged $100,000 from the Stand with Estela Fund to the University Medical Center Foundation.

“I found my passion in what was very nearly the ultimate personal tragedy,” Casas said in a news release. “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 said: “My journey battling breast cancer has brought many challenges to my life, and I have seen many successes along the way. I know what it’s like to beat the challenge of cancer. Programs funded by UMC Foundation will help many women on the same journey to overcome this disease. This opportunity inspires my newfound passion to help other cancer victims succeed — through robust funding of initiatives focused on their care. I am very excited to lead the UMC Foundation but most of all, I am excited to do more for the people of our great city of El Paso.” 

Stephanie Valle is being promoted to primary news anchor, Lovell said.

Valle and Erik Elken will co-anchor ABC-7’s weeknight newscasts at 5, 6 and 10.

Valle has been part of the KVIA news team for 18 years. She began as an intern in 2001, and spent nearly 10 years on the "Good Morning El Paso" staff. After starting as a reporter, she was promoted to morning anchor and executive producer.

In March, Valle was named the station’s news operations manager and "ABC-7 at Four" anchor. She and her husband, Scott, have two children.