KVMR-FM News Director Mike Thornton has accepted a job as a community organizer for the Sierra Fund.

Thornton, 54, has worked at various jobs at KVMR-FM in Nevada City since he began working there in June of 2000. He expects his final day of work at KVMR to be sometime in late May, Thornton said Tuesday.

"I'm really appreciative of my opportunity to work for KVMR and be part of this organization," he said. "I've had to the opportunity to do some real cool things here that I think benefited our readers."

The station will launch a nationwide search to replace Thornton, station General Manager David Levin said.

"We're excited about the potential the search can bring, but we're going to miss Mike at the same time," he said.

The raspy-voiced Thornton has worked at KVMR as public affairs director, president of the Nevada City Community Broadcast Group board of directors, interim program director, talk radio and music host, and news reporter and producer.

Elizabeth Martin, chief executive officer of The Sierra Fund, in Nevada City, said the organization looks forward to having Thornton on board to work on its "Mining's Toxic Legacy" initiative.

"Mike has outstanding skills to contribute to our initiative. He has a wide experience of conducting public outreach activities with diverse groups of people in the Sierra. We are looking forward to the energy and expertise he will bring to this project."

Thornton says he looks forward to his next professional challenge as well.

"I'm thrilled and honored to be working on such an important project and with a great organization like The Sierra Fund," Thornton said. "My job will be to go out and talk to stakeholders and individuals across the Sierra Nevada, to provide information to them about the problem of not only the toxic environmental legacy of mining, including mercury, arsenic, acid mine drainage and other pollutants, but also its impact on the native Maidu people.

"More importantly, my job will be to listen to what people in these communities need and want when it comes to working on these issues, and find ways to help them get those things," Thornton added.

For more information about the Sierra Fund, go to www.sierrafund.org.

To contact Staff Writer Pat Butler, e-mail pbutler@theunion.com or call 477-4239.