Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Elizabeth Espinosa is the newest partner with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Communications team, Sheriff Alex Villanueva announced Wednesday.

With more than two decades in broadcast journalism in Los Angeles, Espinosa (pictured above) will now lead the Sheriff’s Department’s strategic media and communications outreach efforts as Executive Director of Communications.

Espinosa is the first Latina to serve in this capacity for the LASD.

A well-known Southern California journalist, public speaker, social media influencer and special-needs advocate, Espinosa has a range of multi-media skills that she will use in developing strategies that elevate the visibility of the Sheriff’s Department, including community partnerships and increased involvement with social media presence.

She is best recognized by many Angelinos as a television reporter for KTLA Channel 5 News in Los Angeles.

Espinosa was born and raised in Los Angeles, speaks five languages and is one of a select few broadcasters in the country thriving in both English- and Spanish-speaking media.

She most recently covered news for KTLA and currently hosts a talk show on iHeart radio’s KFI-AM 640, “Sunday Morning with Elizabeth Espinosa.”

Espinosa started her career in Los Angeles at Telemundo KVEA-52. She is familiar to TV audiences having also worked at KTTV-Fox 11 News where she was a staple on the top-rated morning show “Good Day LA.”

While at Fox, she earned an Emmy for “Forgotten Footprints: The Hunted Children of Uganda,” an investigative series about children abducted in East Africa forced to fight with rebel soldiers.

Espinosa was also a reporter for Univision’s flagship station KMEX-34, where she had many assignments covering our southern border. She was later co-host/producer on PBS “Studio SoCal,” a weekly in-depth public affairs talk show.

Espinosa also previously worked for CNN where she was the host of her own nightly live nationally syndicated talk show on CNN en Español’s, “Sin Limites con Elizabeth Espinosa,” covering current events and breaking news.

She earned a BS in political science from UCLA and studied abroad in France. Growing up with a severely disabled younger brother, she is keenly aware of the struggles of people living with disabilities. As such, she has been a tireless advocate for the rights of the disabled and has received numerous awards for her community service. She currently sits on the board of Westside Regional Center while working with other community groups and non-profit organizations such as Easter Seals.

As the daughter of immigrant parents who came from Mexico and El Salvador, Espinosa is proud of her multicultural heritage and recognizes the contributions and struggles of Southern California’s diverse immigrant population.

Said Los Angeles County Sheriff Villanueva: “We are excited and proud to have her on board.”