Chris Reen, publisher of The Gazette in Colorado Springs, has been named president and CEO of Clarity Media Group, the Denver-based owner of The Gazette, Clarity officials announced Monday.

Reen assumes the role Jan. 1; he’ll succeed Ryan McKibben, who has held the position since 2004 and who will become Clarity Media’s company chairman.

Reen will continue as publisher of The Gazette. He also will remain publisher of The Denver Gazette, the online newspaper with a focus on Denver-area news, sports and entertainment that Clarity Media launched in September and whose development was overseen by Reen.

Over a 30-year media industry career, Reen, 52, has held executive positions in Oklahoma, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida.

He had been president of the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoman Media Co. and publisher of The Oklahoman newspaper in September 2011 before it was purchased by the Anschutz Corp. of Denver, which owns Clarity Media.

Reen remained with the Anschutz Corp. after it sold the Oklahoma companies in late 2018. He became The Gazette’s publisher in February 2019.

“I am proud to be stepping into this role as our team is in the midst of creating tremendous growth in the delivery and business of journalism,” Reen said in a statement about his new position as Clarity’s president and CEO. “Clarity Media Group’s news outlets are known for our talented professionals who are unmistakably dedicated to delivering award-winning journalism and innovation.”

Clarity Media Group owns and publishes newspapers, magazines and digital news. In addition to The Gazette in Colorado Springs and The Denver Gazette, its media outlets include Colorado Politics, Out There Colorado and the Washington Examiner.

Under McKibben’s 16 years as head of Clarity Media Group, the company made a number of advancements, including an expansion of the Washington Examiner; Clarity transformed it from a weekly, Beltway-focused newspaper to a national political magazine and website.

Clarity also has grown its presence in Colorado. It acquired The Gazette in 2012 and over the last eight years added Colorado Politics, Out There Colorado and the recently launched Denver Gazette.

“I am confident in Chris assuming the helm of Clarity Media Group,” McKibben said. “Our business is leading a bold new path forward for high-quality, award-winning journalism and Chris possesses the perfect experience and vision to lead us into the future.”

The Gazette in Colorado Springs also made a key leadership move recently when it promoted Rich Williams to executive vice president and general manager.

Williams, 57, had served as vice president of consumer revenue since rejoining The Gazette in 2013; he was director of subscriber sales and services for the newspaper in the late 1990s.

Williams oversees The Gazette’s circulation, production and building services; as executive president and general manager, he has added oversight of all business operations, including advertising, finance, information technology, human resources and marketing/audience development.

He also works closely with The Gazette’s newsroom on production, support and scale for all Colorado operations.