The McClatchy Co. regional editor who oversees The Sacramento Bee is leaving the company for a journalism job in Utah.
Lauren Gustus has accepted a position as executive editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, which operates as a community-funded nonprofit. Her final day with McClatchy will be Dec. 1, the Bee reported.
In 2018, Gustus was named the new regional editor for The Sacramento Bee and other McClatchy publications. In her role, Gustus oversaw publications in California, Washington and Idaho. She previously was the executive editor of McClatchy's Star-Telegram in Fort Worth, Texas.
“McClatchy newsrooms in California are building the case that there is a sustainable path forward for local news,” Gustus told the Bee. "This would not be possible without the support of our community or the dedication of our journalists. I am eager to take all I have learned here and apply it at the nonprofit Tribune."
A search for Gustus' replacement is underway. Scott Lebar, the Bee's managing editor, will serve as interim editor.
Sacramento-based McClatchy filed for bankruptcy in February, listing assets of $946.5 million and liabilities of $1.6 billion. The bankruptcy allowed the company to end leases and cut other costs. McClatchy has been selling assets and cutting jobs for years as it struggled with debt from its $4.5 billion acquisition of Knight Ridder more than a decade ago.
A New York bankruptcy court in August approved the sale of most assets of McClatchy to New Jersey hedge fund Chatham Asset Management LLC.