Star publisher Mi-Ai Parrish takes job in Arizona

Mi-Ai Parrish, president and publisher of The Kansas City Star since mid-2011, is leaving the newspaper.

Parrish will become president and publisher of The Arizona Republic, a Gannett publication where she worked in the newsroom from 1999 to 2001. She and her husband, David, have relatives in Phoenix, where the Republic is based, and were married at the Grand Canyon.

“Leaving The Kansas City Star and this great community isn’t easy,” Parrish said in an announcement of her departure. “I’m proud of the engaged, forward-looking, creative work being done here and will watch fondly the certain success ahead.”

The Star named Parrish publisher in June 2011. Her last day will be next Friday.

Parrish came to The Star from the Idaho Statesman, where she had become publisher in 2006. She had joined the Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2002 when it was owned by the McClatchy Co., which owns The Star and Statesman.

A search for Parrish’s successor is underway.

“I do think there will be some strong candidates both internally and externally,” Mark Zieman, vice president of operations at McClatchy, said in announcing the news to The Star’s staff.

“Kansas City is a vibrant and growing community, with a renowned entrepreneurial spirit, and The Star has always been its leading champion and most-trusted source for news. McClatchy is committed to that relationship,” Zieman said in an email to McClatchy employees.

Parrish had succeeded Zieman as publisher when he moved to the position with McClatchy in California. Parrish was the first woman to be named publisher of The Star.

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Star publisher Mi-Ai Parrish takes job in Arizona."