Longtime local news fixture Liz Crenshaw, a consumer reporter for NBC4 for the last two decades, is retiring at the end of May.

“My commitment to consumer reporting and looking out for the people of DC, Maryland and Virginia has been – not just a job – but a passion,” Crenshaw said in an e-mail that vice president of news Mike Goldrik sent to the channel’s newsroom on Monday morning. “Now it’s time for new explorations and time away from the camera.”

We hear management begged Crenshaw — who’s well-liked at NBC4′s Nebraska Avenue headquarters — to stay.

In the e-mail, Goldrik praised her as “a fierce advocate” for viewers and “a generous colleague, a reliable co-worker, and a good friend.”

I guess I’m making news today. I’ve decided after 30 yrs at NBC4 it’s time for new explorations away from the camera starting this summer.

— liz crenshaw (@lizcrenshaw) February 3, 2014