Seattle biz weekly names new editor; so does Portland paper

Rob Smith, the editor of the Portland Business Journal, is becoming editor of its sister publication in Seattle, the Puget Sound Business Journal.

He replaces George Erb, who retired from the Puget Sound paper last year. Both papers are owned by American City Business Journals.

Smith has been at the Portland paper since November 2003. Before that, he was managing editor and special reports editor at the Seattle paper for nearly six years. He led the Portland Business Journal to 113 state and 11 national journalism awards. The paper also won first-place statewide in editorial writing award five times during his tenure.

Smith is being replaced in Portland by Suzanne Stevens, who is the paper’s digital managing editor and has been its web editor. A staff writer for the paper, Matthew Kish, tweeted that she is a “talented and savvy journalist and leader.”

Stevens has been with the Portland paper since 2010. Before that, she spent five years at The Deal as a senior editor. Stevens also spent four years as an associate editor of Oregon Business magazine.