STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Steamboat Pilot & Today’s new publisher Logan Molen was born to work in newspapers.

Molen’s parents were both journalists who met while working at the Lewiston Tribune in Idaho. Their journalism careers later took them to Montana and then Pueblo, Colorado, where Molen was born.

“It runs in the blood, I guess,” Molen said Sunday while visiting Mountain Tap Brewery on Yampa Street, which is below where Steamboat Pilot & Today’s new offices will be located in about a month. “I always loved news, covering the news and writing.”

Molen’s first day as publisher is Monday. He replaces Suzanne Schlicht, who led the newspaper for 26 years.

Molen has spent most of his life in California.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Fresno State University and his master’s in business administration from Pepperdine University.

Molen’s career was focused mainly on the news side of the business until about 2006, when he began to manage digital operations at The Bakersfield Californian.

In recent months, he was publisher and CEO of RG Media Company, with its flagship newspaper being The Register Guard in Eugene, Oregon. The company had 242 employees.

RG Media Company recently changed ownership, and Molen decided it was time to look for other opportunities, preferably outside the large newspaper chains that are sometimes too focused on profits.

“I’ve known of Swift for awhile,” Molen said. “I told my wife Swift might be the only one I would consider.”

Swift Communications bought Steamboat Pilot & Today in August 2016. The media company is still family-owned and has about 600 employees. Swift’s operations in Colorado focus in resort markets and fall under the umbrella of Colorado Mountain News Media.

“I’ve heard everything about the culture from people at the top and the bottom,” Molen said of Swift. “There is something genuine and special that I like.”

He said he still believes community newspapers and media companies are important.

“And the mission is as important as it ever was,” Molen said. “There is just a lot to like about it.”

While at The Register Guard, Molen wrote a regular column that served as a constant reminder of the important role newspapers play in the community.

“Newspapers are really special because people feel they are part owners of it,” Molen said.

Molen visited Steamboat for the first time about a month ago when he interviewed for the publisher’s position.

“When I got here, I was pleasantly surprised,” Molen said. “This is a great place. It’s a fun place.”

Logan and his wife, Sandi, have two adult daughters. He enjoys hiking, travel, music and sports. He is an avid collector and reader of music books and recently helped produce a critically acclaimed book about The Bakersfield Sound.

“I love all kinds of music, listening to music and reading about music,” Molen said.

Colorado Mountain News Media Associate General Manager Meg Boyer, who formerly worked at Steamboat Pilot & Today but now lives in Summit County, said Molen is going to be a great fit for the community.

“Logan is a naturally curious person, always eager to learn and challenge himself and his team,” Boyer said. “That’s the kind of leader we need in an industry that is evolving nearly daily. I’m excited to see what the next chapter holds for Steamboat Pilot & Today under Logan’s leadership.”

Still very fresh to Steamboat, Molen plans to spend a lot of time immersing himself in the community, which involved a Sunday afternoon hike on Spring Creek Trail.

“I’m just diving in and listening and asking questions,” Molen said. “Get the lay of the land and go from there.”

To reach Matt Stensland, call 970-871-4247, email mstensland@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @SBTStensland.