Colleen McCain Nelson to leave The Bee for executive editor position in Dallas

Colleen McCain Nelson, who has been the executive editor of The Sacramento Bee for more than four years, will become the new leader of the Dallas Morning News’ newsroom.

Nelson, 51, is returning to the publication where she was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing in 2010.

“I have loved every day at The Sacramento Bee, and I feel fortunate to have spent the last four-and-a-half years working with such a talented and innovative team that cares deeply about the community that we serve,” Nelson said. “The Bee’s journalists are committed to holding the powerful to account, delivering exclusive local journalism and helping our readers live their best lives in Sacramento.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from this team,” she said. “It’s tough to leave The Bee newsroom, but I am returning to the city I called home for 12 years and the newsroom where I spent my formative years as a journalist.”

Managing Editor Scott Lebar, a 40-year veteran of The Bee, will assume the role of interim editor. Lebar, 71, has worked as an editor in many capacities with The Bee since 1985, overseeing all aspects of news coverage, from local and state news to features to sports to investigations. He has served as managing editor since 2013.

“Scott’s steady leadership of The Bee staff through the years, combined with his deep ties to Sacramento, make him the perfect person to step into the interim role,” said Robyn Tomlin, McClatchy’s Chief News & Membership Officer. “The newsroom and The Sacramento Bee readers couldn’t be in better hands.”

McClatchy will conduct a nationwide search for the next leader of The Bee.

Nelson will assume her new role as executive editor and vice president in Dallas on Aug. 11. She replaces Katrice Hardy, who left in February to become CEO of The Marshall Project.

“We conducted a nationwide search to find the best executive editor in the United States, and I am confident we found that leader in Colleen,” Grant Moise, CEO of DallasNews Corp. and publisher of the Dallas Morning News said in a news release. “Colleen is an outstanding journalist and has been at the forefront of journalism’s digital transformation. We can’t wait to welcome her back to the Dallas Morning News.

“Colleen is relentlessly committed to journalistic excellence, and it has been clear throughout her career that accountability journalism, which is highly valued by our subscribers, is her top priority,” Moise said.

Nelson leaves The Bee and its parent company, McClatchy Media, where she was previously the national opinion editor and the vice president and opinion editor of The Kansas City Star. In California, she was also the regional editor over McClatchy’s five newsrooms, supervising editors and newsrooms at The Modesto Bee, The Fresno Bee, the Merced Sun-Star and The Tribune of San Luis Obispo.

McClatchy’s local newsrooms cover California’s capital, Northern California, the Central Valley and the Central Coast.

“Colleen has brought remarkable vision, integrity and tenacity to our journalism,” Tomlin said. “Under her leadership, the newsroom has produced deeply impactful work on California’s most urgent issues — from government accountability and wildfire policy to housing, equity and criminal justice. That work has changed lives, informed communities and upheld the highest ideals of our profession.”

In Sacramento, Nelson championed investigations into Lodi skydiving fatalities, inappropriate behavior by leaders at St. Hope Public Schools, the finances of the city of Sacramento, contracts related to Butte County fires and Cal-OSHA hiring practices. Nelson also spearheaded other community endeavors, including a cookbook highlighting Sacramento restaurant recipes and The Bee’s Change Makers series, which honors key community leaders in partnership with the Nehemiah Emerging Leaders Program.

“Colleen has left an enduring legacy — one defined by courageous public service reporting, deep community connection and an unwavering commitment to journalistic excellence,” Tomlin said. “She will be deeply missed by her team and by her colleagues across McClatchy.”

This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 12:15 PM.