WMAQ News Director Debra Juarez is leaving the NBC O&O, but not the NBC family. 

Juarez is headed to Miami to head digital operations forWTVJ and Telemundo WSCV. 

Frank Whittaker, station manager and vice president of news at WMAQ told the staff that Juarez would be leaving the station by year's end. Calling Juarez “the perfect choice” for the new position, Whittaker cited her prior experience in Miami and extensive newsroom management in Chicago and Boston.

He credited Juarez as an integral part of NBC 5’s leadership team “[whose] steady hand has guided our daily news operations. . . . On a personal level, I will miss her the most. She’s been my right hand for the past five years, helping me run the newsroom and keeping me out of trouble.”

A search will begin soon for a replacement as news director, Whittaker said. Juarez, who’ll remain on the job here through the November rating sweep, officially starts in Miami on January 3.

“This is an exciting time in my career,” Juarez said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to join the NBC 6 and Telemundo 51 news teams to further boost their digital operations and help each station deliver the news, information and content their viewers are clamoring for and across all platforms.”

Juarez becomes the second Chicago News Director to leave the Windy City for South Florida. Earlier this year, To Doerr left Fox O&O WFLD and has settled in at WINK in Ft. Myers. 

H/T Robert Feder