MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editor Martin Kaiser says he will leave the company in February.

Kaiser led the newspaper to three Pulitzer Prizes. His successor will be George Stanley, the Journal Sentinel's managing editor.

The news was announced Tuesday to the Journal Sentinel (http://bit.ly/1uhggby) newsroom.

Kaiser, 64, has been with the organization 20 years. The Milwaukee native returned as managing editor of the old Milwaukee Journal, and in three years became editor of the merged Journal Sentinel. He also is vice president of Journal Communications, the organization's parent company.

Journal Communications chairman and CEO Steve Smith praised Kaiser for fostering a creative newsroom culture.

The transition comes as the Journal Sentinel prepares for next year's anticipated merger of Journal Communications and E.W. Scripps Co., and spinoff of the two companies' newspapers.