Former Chicago anchor, Jim Avila, has just been named ABC/Univision News White House correspondent.

This promotion makes Avila the first White House correspondent for the ABC/Univision joint venture.  Avila, who worked in Chicago news for 14-years, will continue contributing to 20/20 another ABC program.

In making the announcement ABC News president Ben Sherwood said, “In addition, he will lead the charge for ABC News on covering Hispanic America, immigration reform, education, politics and other issues vitally important to the Latino community, the fastest-growing segment of our population.” 

57-year-old Avila currently is the network’s Senior National Correspondent and prior to that was their Senior Law and Justice Correspondent.  He joined the network in 2004.

Avila is the son of Los Angeles radio personality Jim Simon. Reportedly Avila and some of his siblings took the name of their material grandmother so as to “avoid the appearance of conflict when they were hired by their father at various [media] stations.”