The Modesto Bee has new senior editor. He looks forward to ‘serving a diverse population’
McClatchy has named Carlos Virgen as senior editor at The Modesto Bee, starting Aug. 21.
He has spent the past 10 years as assistant managing editor for audience development at The Day of New London, Conn.
Virgen, 51, was born in Tijuana, Mexico, and moved at age 3 to Los Angeles, where he grew up. He speaks fluent Spanish.
“A big part of my professional mission is to make sure I’m working in a newsroom that’s serving a diverse population,” Virgen said by phone Wednesday. He succeeds Keith Campbell, who served as interim senior editor.
Virgen also has been online manager at the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin in Washington.
He is married to Maria Gonzalez, a teacher and former journalist. They will bring three school-age children to Modesto.
“We are thrilled to have Carlos join The Bee in this leadership role,” said Don Blount, the Central Valley executive editor for McClatchy. “His skills, experience and commitment to journalism and the community will be invaluable as we move forward.”
The Day is a locally owned publication dating to 1881. While there, Virgen also was an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut.
He was a coach for the Table Stakes Local News Transformation program at the American Press Institute. He also worked at Whitman College in Walla Walla.
