From 1972 to 1985, the 51-year-old Lee was a reporter, features editor and assistant city editor at the Tucson Citizen in the afternoon daily's glory days, working alongside such legendary talents as Chuck Bowden, Dick Vonier and The Weekly's own Dan Huff. His work there earned him three national awards, including Best of Gannett and a Penney-Missouri award, for an investigation into price gouging by natural gas companies.
Since leaving the Citizen, Lee has worked as city editor in Salinas, California, and executive editor in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. His most recent post was as publisher of the daily newspaper in Martinsburg, West Virginia.
Lee issued succinct marching orders to the Tucson Weekly staff: "Uncover news, challenge conventional thinking and have fun. And try to do it in that order."
Lee will also be publisher of Wick's other local operation, Territorial Newspapers, which publishes Inside Tucson Business, the Daily Territorial and the Desert Airman.
A native of Missouri, Lee graduated from Northwest Missouri University. He is married to the former Leslie Ann Price, a native Tucsonan who graduated from Catalina High School and Northern Arizona University. They are the parents of twin daughters, Dana and Tessa, who will be freshmen in high school.
Lee will begin work March 27. In the meantime, Weekly founder Douglas Biggers will continue as editor and publisher for a transition period after Lee's arrival.
