Bill Gaspard, news design director of the Los Angeles Times and president of the Society for News Design has resigned his LAT position, reports Kevin Roderick at L.A. Observed. Roderick says that his sources say Gaspard cited the recent changes by new editor Dean Baquet that removed Deputy Managing Editor Joe Hutchinson from oversight of the design and graphics staff and gave it to AME Melissa McCoy. Gaspard told Roderick that wasn't the reason. He said he's taking advantage of a "significant, but fleeting" consulting opportunity, and that there are some things he wanted to accomplish in his last few months as SND president.

I did not resign as a result of the change of reporting lines for design. It's not something that I necessarily agree with, but I have complete confidence that Dean and Melissa value the craft and its importance to the paper.