Executive Director Richard Karpel is leaving the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies for the same position at the American Society of News Editors. His last day at AAN will be Nov. 25, although he has agreed to help the association in an unofficial capacity after that date to assist in the transition to a new staff chief executive.

Karpel has been AAN’s executive director since July 1995, when he was hired to open the association’s headquarters office in Washington, DC.

“I have been at AAN for the better part of my adult life, and it has been an incredible ride,” Karpel says. “I want to thank all of the AAN members past and present who have made my time here such a rich and rewarding experience.”

“It’s hard for many of us to imagine AAN without Richard,” AAN President Mark Zusman says. “He’s been an extraordinary executive director and his leadership and steady hand during AAN’s remarkable growth can not be overestimated.”

AAN will immediately begin the search for Karpel’s replacement. Candidates who may be interested can learn more about the position here.