DALLAS — WFAA announced Monday that Chris Lawrence will join the station’s news department in January 2019.
Lawrence currently works with WRC-TV, NBC's affiliate in the nation's capital.
In his new role with WFAA, Lawrence will co-anchor the station's evening news broadcasts with Cynthia Izaguirre. He will also field anchor during major events and be a key player on the station’s digital platforms.
Longtime WFAA anchor John McCaa announced his retirement earlier this year, and will be leaving the station on March 1.
Lawrence joined the Washington, D.C. station, where he anchors and reports, in January 2014.
Prior to that, the veteran journalist spent a decade working at CNN, where he covered national security issues as a Pentagon correspondent.
Lawrence has traveled extensively reporting from countries that include Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Israel.
He also spent months embedded with American troops in war zones around the world, and reported on a variety of national stories, including the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, the 2010 BP oil spill and California wildfires.
In 2005, Lawrence was among the first reporters to broadcast live coverage from New Orleans after the levees broke during Hurricane Katrina, and contributed to coverage that earned a George Foster Peabody Award.
“We are pleased to welcome Chris and his family to WFAA and North Texas,” said Brad Ramsey, WFAA president and general manager. “Chris’ resume speaks for itself, as he has covered some of the most impactful stories of our time, but we are most excited about his ability to connect with the local audience and his interest in helping WFAA continue to lead the way on innovation.”
Lawrence previously worked for CBS Newspath, where he traveled to Rome to report on the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church. He has also covered local news for stations in Detroit, Syracuse and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The son of a teacher working in public schools, Lawrence grew up in the Midwest. He enlisted in the United States Navy Reserve at the age of 18, and later graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Lawrence and his wife are the parents of three young children, two girls and a boy.
