New publisher at British Columbia magazine

[This post has been updated]

Susan Rybar, a vice-president of Tourism BC has replaced Michelle Hughes as publisher of British Columbia magazine. The glossy scenic geographic and travel magazine with a long pedigree (founded in 1959) was last year moved under the ministry, from having been somewhat independent of it. 

Rybar is also Vice President, Visitor Experiences  at Tourism BC, a position she took in 2008, a division responsible for promoting tourism growth. (She had previously been publications director and general manager of British Columbia magazine.)

Hughes, who had been the publisher of Prairies North magazine, was brought in last year to revitalize the magazine and seek new revenue sources. She left the magazine May 13.

The magazine is now advertising, as well, for a new editor.  [Update: the publisher confirms that editor Anita Willis has left the magazine, too, "to pursue new opportunities".]

British Columbia has a paid international circulation of about 120,000, though it is principally aimed at British Columbians.

It started out being published by the BC government as Beautiful British Columbia and in 1983 was privatized, sold to the Jim Pattison Group. It was bought back from Pattison in 2001 by Tourism British Columbia, though it continued as a separate operation. It was rebranded in late 2002 as British Columbia Magazine.