Heidi Desch has been tapped as the next managing editor of the Whitefish Pilot.

A longtime local reporter, Desch first joined the Pilot newsroom in 2011. Her news beats for the paper have included city government, schools and business, along with writing a variety of community profiles. Among her career accolades, Desch won a first-place award for investigative journalism at the 2016 Montana Newspaper Association Better Newspaper Contest.

“I’m excited to lead the Pilot moving forward,” Desch said. “Whitefish is a great community full of amazing people. I’m grateful I get the opportunity to be a part of this town and continue telling the stories that matter most to people — from what’s happening in the kindergarten class at Muldown Elementary to the latest city project and everything in between.”

Before coming to Whitefish, Desch spent six years as a reporter at the Hungry Horse News in Columbia Falls and served as interim editor of The Western News in Libby. She earned her journalism degree from the University of Montana in 2005 and is graduate of Libby High School. Outside of journalism, Desch’s interests include cooking, camping, hiking and spending time with her two dogs.

Desch succeeds Matt Baldwin as Pilot editor. Baldwin is moving to a new role at the Daily Inter Lake in Kalispell. Both papers are owned by the Hagadone Corporation.

“The Pilot will be in good hands,” Baldwin said. “Heidi has a calm and even disposition, and a strong sense of local journalism that will serve this community well.”

Contact Desch with news items at editor@whitefishpilot.com or call the newsroom at 862-3505.