Nita Lelyveld has been named managing editor of the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.

Lelyveld joined the Press Herald as city editor in September 2021. She is a veteran journalist who spent two decades with the Los Angeles Times as an editor, columnist and reporter.

Nita Lelyveld Los Angeles Times

Lelyveld began her career at the Tuscaloosa News in Alabama before moving to The Associated Press, working for the AP in Hartford and Washington. After that she worked for The Philadelphia Inquirer as a national writer and then joined the Los Angeles Times, where she held various positions and created the popular column City Beat, which attracted an enormous social media following.

As city editor of the Press Herald, Lelyveld has directed breaking news coverage and enterprise journalism in Greater Portland. She also has created new newsletters such as “Postcard From Maine” and has used her social media presence to engage with readers.

“Moving to Maine to join the Press Herald team was the best decision I could have made for my career and for my life,” Lelyveld said. “We have a wonderful, dedicated staff, and I’m thrilled to be able to play a bigger role in supporting their work and shaping our coverage of our region and state.”

As managing editor, she will oversee the entire news operation. The position has been vacant since late 2021, when Steve Greenlee was promoted to executive editor.

“Nita is a superior journalist who has made a big impact in a short time,” Greenlee said. “Her dedication to watchdog journalism, her knack for storytelling, her skill at story organization and her instincts for finding great untold tales are paying dividends for Press Herald subscribers. Now she’ll manage our daily news operation, shepherd our projects, oversee our assignment desks and coach our staff. Her passion for engaging readers shows in the newsletters she has created, in her lively social media presence and in her daily interactions with all of us. We’re lucky she’s part of our team.”

The Press Herald is searching for a new city editor.