After 29 years, ABC7 news anchor Ellen Leyva has announced she will retire in the next few months.
Leyva joined ABC7 in 1995, served as a health reporter, and anchored several other newscasts, including morning and midday. She has co-anchored ABC7 Eyewitness News at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., along with her friend David Ono, who has been by her side since the fall of 1996.
“After a lot of soul-searching, I know I’m ready to move on and focus on my next great adventure in life. While this isn’t easy, it is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” Leyva said in an ABC7 broadcast announcing the news to viewers. “I am truly excited for what’s next.”
Leyva has been a cornerstone of the Glendale-based broadcast station and its local coverage, including her recent coverage of the Altadena and Pacific Palisades wildfires that devastated Los Angeles.
“This place has been my home away from home, especially brought to light with the love and compassion I’ve received since being displaced from my Altadena home due to the Eaton Fire,” she said.
According to ABC7, Ellen grew up in a bilingual household in Tucson, Arizona, where her family spoke English and Spanish. Her mother’s family is from Mexico, where she spent much of her time. She credits being bilingual as an asset in her reporting on the large Hispanic communities of Phoenix and Los Angeles.
Leyva graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in broadcast journalism and was inducted into the Walter Cronkite School of Broadcast Journalism’s Hall of Fame in 2006. She’s also received an Impact Award for Excellence in Television from the National Hispanic Media Coalition.
In her years at the station, she has co-hosted Oscars red carpet arrivals, flown with the Blue Angels and stood in the operation room with Dr. Oz as he performed a double bypass. She has also embedded herself in the Los Angeles community, serving as ABC7’s team leader for AIDS Walk Los Angeles and advocating for mental health services for underserved communities.
“Almost 30 years later, I can say that I’ve been truly blessed to work at the best news station in the best city. But the best part has been the people I work with and the viewers at home,” Leyva said. “I’m looking forward to finding as many opportunities to say goodbye to as many of you as possible.”
ABC7 did not specify Leyva’s departure date.