Spokesman-Review editor Gary Graham plans to retire in September after leading the newsroom for eight years. His replacement is expected to be hired this summer after a national search, newspaper publisher Stacey Cowles announced.

Graham’s career spans 44 years at four newspapers. His first job was cub reporter at his hometown paper, the News-Sentinel in Fort Wayne, Indiana, three days after graduating from Ball State University. He arrived in Spokane 13 years ago and took over leadership of the newsroom in 2008, following a round of budget cuts that led to deep newsroom layoffs. “Under his steady hand we weathered the downsizings during the recession and nonetheless preserved a team of journalists with great story-telling skills, digital savvy and deep knowledge of the market,” Cowles wrote in an announcement to the paper’s staff.

Graham is 66 years old and acknowledged after the announcement that he was unsure what it will feel like to wake up and not be a newspaperman. More here (subscription required).

DFO: I've had 10 editors in my 46-year career as a newspaperman, not counting the 4-year stint at The Daily Interlake in Kalispell, Mont., when I was the newspaper's editor. Almost all of the editors were decent individuals who were deeply committed to good journalism, including Gary Graham. I sent him a note after the retirement announcement Thursday, lamenting his coming departure and commenting that I don't know if I have enough energy to break in another editor.

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