After nearly 5 years at the helm of the Port Douglas and Mossman Gazette, Susie Thackray is moving on to take up a new position as Title Manager for a Fairfax Press local newspaper down in Coffs Harbour as from Feb 1.

Susie came to town back in 2005 as Managing Editor of the Gazette, which involved her balancing both her journalistic skills and commercial talents as she guided the Gazette through some of it's most difficult years.

Then in 2009, after a considerable internal re-structuring of the company at owners News Ltd, she became the Title and Advertising Manager when new Editor Greg McClean arrived in town from Darwin but now it's time to share her talents with a wider audience as she takes on this even bigger new challenge. There is no details yet of her successor but we'll keep you informed as soon as we know.

Editors Comments: I had the privilege to work alongside Susie for over 3 years of her time as Managing Editor at the Gazette. She was a professional and passionate operator, no one who worked with her would ever have doubted her commitment for the paper and the Gazette would not be what it is today without her efforts during her time.

I'm confident she will help forge a new era at her new challenge. I'm sure I speak for the whole community when I say that she will be sorely missed by her colleagues and friends at the Gazette and in the community. It only remains for me to say on behalf of myself and my colleagues at Newsport Daily that we wish her every success in this new and exciting time for her and her family. Come back and see us soon.....