KCBX Central Coast Public Radio has hired Monica Lopez as its new news director.

Lopez has a decades-long career in journalism and public radio, and has been a news director and editor, bureau chief, writer, reporter, and producer on nationally syndicated newscasts and documentary programs in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Houston, Texas.

Lopez’s 25-year tenure as a journalist spans senior positions in the newsrooms of UC Santa Barbara’s KCSB-FM, Los Angeles’ KPFK, Houston’s KPFT, and the international daily news program “Free Speech Radio News.”

Her most recent position was with The Financial Times, for which she served as an audio engineer for the newspaper’s flagship news podcast, the “FT News Briefing,” and as a co-editor for the documentary podcast series, “70 Million.”

Lopez holds a degree in Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies from UC Santa Barbara and specialized in video documentary production at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Through her years in terrestrial radio and podcast production, Lopez said she has developed an affection for local public stations like KCBX.

“I love community radio and covering local communities where there can be a greater connection and impact with listeners,” she said. “I am thrilled to be joining KCBX, and I look forward to helping our news team provide information about critical public services and accountability reporting that people can rely on to make informed decisions.”

“With her decades of experience as a journalist, editor, producer, and mentor, she brings a full toolkit to lead our news team and to serve our community,” said said KCBX Program Director Marisa Waddell.

Monica Lopez’s news stories for KCBX can be found at kcbx.org/people/monica-lopez.

KCBX is a non-commercial public radio station that serves listeners in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and south Monterey counties. The station broadcasts local and national information programming, NPR Network shows, and an eclectic music format. KCBX streams online at kcbx.org.