BIDDEFORD – Dennis J. Flaherty, publisher of the Journal Tribune, is stepping down from his position to pursue other interests, Beacon Press Inc., the newspaper’s owner, announced Friday.

Until a successor is named, the newspaper will be managed by Chris McKenney, who works in Biddeford as chief financial officer of Beacon Press, and by George R. Sample III, the president of Beacon Press.

Flaherty, whose tenure ended Friday, began his employment with the Journal Tribune in October 1974 as circulation director.

He was named publisher in 1980. Five years later he was elected president of Alta Group Newspapers Inc., the then-owner of the Journal Tribune.

He served in that post until Alta Group was sold in 1996 to Community Newspapers Inc., a division of Fidelity Investments, and then to Beacon Press.

Flaherty served the New England Newspaper Association as the representative from Maine and served as president of the Maine Daily Newspaper Association.

During his time as publisher, the Journal Tribune was named New England Newspaper of the Year in its circulation category four times by the New England Newspaper Association, in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2001.