Veronica de la Cruz

Veronica de la Cruz
Born (1980-08-13) August 13, 1980
Occupation News anchor
Denomination Roman Catholic

Veronica de la Cruz (born August 13, 1980) is an American television news anchor. Since May 5, 2014, she has been with KPIX/KBCW as an anchor.[1] She worked for NBC News from 2010–2014, was an alternating anchor on both Early Today on NBC and First Look on MSNBC, and served as a correspondent for NBC News. She has filled in as news anchor on Today.

De la Cruz formerly appeared on CNN's Emmy-nominated morning show American Morning from 6am to 9am Eastern time, providing Dotcom Desk information to CNN's early morning viewers. She also substituted as a replacement anchor for CNN U.S. and HLN, formerly CNN Headline News. She previously anchored the CNN broadband news service, CNN Pipeline, now CNN.com Live, and was one of its four founding anchors. She became a contributor to their domestic network with the segment "Dotcom Desk", which launched during the 2004 Southeast Asian tsunami. Her contributions to CNN's news coverage include reporting on Hurricane Katrina, working with the Victims and Relief desk, and numerous on-line reports with CNN broadband news. De la Cruz joined CNN in 2003 and in 2007 moved from the network's world headquarters in Atlanta to the New York Offices. She left CNN in 2008 and subsequently rejoined NBC/MSNBC.

De la Cruz has also been on the forefront of new technology. She is one of the first and only cable network news journalists to shoot segments with a Flip Mino video camera, which she edits herself on a Mac. She also regularly engages in discussion with her viewers via Facebook[2] and microblogs on Twitter.

She became increasingly popular when she started a campaign to save the life of her brother, Eric de la Cruz. Eric needed a heart transplant but was refused due to poor health insurance. She tried raising money through social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook as well as pages that were created for her family's cause. Nine Inch Nails front man Trent Reznor joined the cause and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Eric as well as bringing much needed attention to the fight for proper health insurance. Despite these efforts, Eric died in July 2009.

Biography

Career

Prior to joining CNN, de la Cruz worked as an anchor and reporter at an NBC affiliate in Yuma, Arizona. She served as morning and mid-day anchor, and did live shots and produced packages for the 5 pm and 6 pm newscasts. However, during her time at KYMA-TV, de la Cruz covered numerous stories on U.S.–Mexico border issues, the nation's nursing shortage, and the plight of the migrant farm worker. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, de la Cruz interviewed figure skating hopeful Sasha Cohen. She also produced a series on the homeless before leaving the station in Yuma, with whom she continues to do volunteer work periodically.

Early in her career, de la Cruz hosted a music show for SonicNet/Digital Planet where she interviewed many different artists which included: Hoobastank, Vertical Horizon, Eagle Eye Cherry and the Roots. Her other work includes working as a host and reporter for Eruptor Entertainment's "Living Giant", covering the international music scene, where she reported from locales including Ibiza, Spain. De la Cruz also worked as a host and producer of the show "Direct Drive" on the Digital Entertainment Network.

During the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, de la Cruz interviewed the keynote speaker Bill Gates[3] of Microsoft shortly before his retirement.

In June 2008, de la Cruz flew to Northern California to work with the Sacramento Vice Squad as they tried to crack down on minors selling themselves through Craigslist. At that time, she asked Jim Buckmaster, CEO of Craigslist, why the website continued to advertise erotic services[4] on their site. In November, Craigslist announced they would try to fix the problem by charging for the ads.

De la Cruz, whose mother is of Filipino descent, has done many reports on Asian Americans. Among them were growing up Asian in America, human trafficking, and the significance of the Asian American vote[5] in the 2008 Presidential race.

De la Cruz has also anchored live coverage of major breaking stories including the death of former President Ronald Reagan, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict and Hurricane Katrina.

Health care reform activism

Tweeple, a magazine covering news related to Twitter, named de la Cruz as one of its picks,[6] calling her a "Trailblazer" and saying "...She is an inspiration and a catalyst for change beyond just Eric’s scenario. The national exposure is generating more and more debate on the problems in Medicaid, Medicare in the United States..."

On the one year anniversary of the passage of health care reform, de la Cruz made an appearance on MSNBC to share her brother's story. She was interviewed by Contessa Brewer. She also wrote an article about her brother and the need for health care reform for The Huffington Post.[7] It was one of many that she has written for them.

On April 20, 2010, she formed the Eric de la Cruz Hope for Hearts foundation in Eric's memory.

Other work

De la Cruz is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association.

Personal life

De la Cruz is a Southern California native born in Northern California. She grew up in Orange County. Her father is Jewish (from a family from Germany and France) and her mother is of Chinese and Filipino background.[8] As a child, she was a competitive figure skater[9] until an injury ended her career.[8] De la Cruz is a practicing Roman Catholic.[10] In January 2013, de la Cruz revealed that she was expecting her first child in March.[11] She gave birth to her son Hartley Eric de la Cruz on March 13, 2013, naming him after her brother, Eric who died waiting for a heart transplant in 2010. De la Cruz has said many times that her son is a miracle and looks just like his uncle, Eric. In 2013, she started a website and non-profit called And Then There Were Two which is "dedicated to the strength of single moms left to play the role of both mother and father to their children."[12]

References

  1. ↑ "Veronica de la Cruz named new anchor for KPIX5/KBCW". AsianWeek. April 3, 2014.
  2. ↑ "CNN and Veronica de la Cruz Does Groups Right!". Facebook. November 24, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Meeting Bill Gates". CNN. January 8, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Child prostitutes sell themselves on Craigslist". CNN. June 28, 2008.
  5. ↑ "CNN: Asian-Americans on Election". 8Asians.com.
  6. ↑ "10 Celebrity Twitters To Watch For". WordPress. July 18, 2009.
  7. ↑ "Health care reform a year later: Reflecting on a journey started – not completed". The Huffington Post. March 23, 2011.
  8. 1 2 "Getting to know.....Veronica de la Cruz". All Things CNN. Blogger. November 19, 2008.
  9. ↑ Pearson, Jennifer (January 29, 2013). "MSNBC anchor Veronica de la Cruz reveals she is pregnant with first child as she bares her bump in arty photograph". Daily Mail.
  10. ↑ Pimentel, Joseph (September 28, 2013). "Veronica de la Cruz's son baptized". Asian Journal.
  11. ↑ "Veronica de la Cruz expecting first child". People. Time Inc. January 29, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Everclear's Art Alexakis joins hands with NBC's Veronica de la Cruz and her non-profit "And Then There Were Two" to push for responsible fatherhood". susanvonseggern.com. July 3, 2013.
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