Creative Loafing (Atlanta) publisher Henry E. Scott will be departing at the end of the month and moving to Miami to relaunch his media consulting firm, The Intermediator Group.

He will be succeeded by Sharry Smith, currently the publisher of Creative Loafing’s Tampa paper.

CL Atlanta staff writer Thomas Wheatley says that Creative Loafing, Inc. CEO Marty Petty informed the staff of Scott’s departure this morning:

Petty said Henry’s decision was bittersweet. When she was tapped by CL Inc.’s board to lead the six-city print and online company, Petty said, she turned to Scott, a friend of nearly 30 years and former co-worker, for his expertise.

She also touched on what she called the “elephant in the room” — Smith will become CL Atlanta‘s ninth publisher in six years. It’s become a sort of gallows humor ’round the office.

“I understand and get where you’re coming from,” Smith told staffers. “And I hope to earn your trust over time.”

Henry Scott joined CL, Inc. in February as vice president and chief marketing officer before being named publisher of CL Atlanta in May.

His consulting firm describes itself as being focused on the recruitment and development of digital and print media executives, and Wheatley indicates that Scott might be targeting clients in Latin America.

If his departure goes according to schedule, Scott will have served as publisher of CL Atlanta for eight months. The paper’s previous publisher, Luann Labedz, left earlier this year citing personal reasons.