Sue Ontiveros

Sue Ontiveros, a versatile editor, talented writer and respected mentor to fellow journalists, is resigning after 30 years at the Sun-Times.

Ontiveros told colleagues Monday that she will step down April 1 as deputy features editor, the post she has held since 2006. She will continue her association with the newspaper by writing a weekly editorial page column about social issues and blogging about nutrition, fitness, wellness and food for suntimes.com on a free-lance basis.

"Sue has been a wonderful part of the Sun-Times family,” said Jim Kirk, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Sun-Times. “Her versatility — from writing columns, to writing editorials, to editing stories — made her an editor's dream. She's given it all to the Sun-Times and we will miss her immensely."

A Chicago native and graduate of Bowen High School and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Ontiveros joined the Sun-Times in 1984.

"As a kid growing up, my dream was to work for the Chicago Sun-Times," she said. "I've learned so much, had so much fun along the way. And the people! What wonderful, talented people I have had the privilege of working with over the years and continue to work with. I feel very lucky that the current management will let me continue writing my column and blogging on the topics I have such an interest in — nutrition, fitness, wellness."

Ontiveros also served as food editor of the Sun-Times for about a decade until the locally produced weekly food section ceased publication last year. Her editorial page column, which will increase to weekly, currently appears every third Sunday.