Vice President and General Manager for ABC News Radio Steve Jones sent the following note to the radio division this afternoon about ABC News White House Correspondent, Ann Compton:

Last winter, Ann Compton raised a subject she's hinted at before and that I'd previously managed to avoid: her retirement. She told me how amazing it was being a new grandmother and suggested that, after 40-years at ABC News, perhaps it was time to transition to the next phase of her life. I listened, smiled and told her we'd chat again, hoping she'd change her mind. But, by the spring, it was clear to me that Ann was ready to leave the job she has loved so that she can spend more time with the people she loves: her wonderful family.

We have a date set in late September for us to celebrate Ann's career in a setting that will let her friends and co-workers offer tributes and recollections about one of the most amazing women in journalism and one of the greatest friends and colleagues I have had the pleasure to work with. For now, though, Ann has asked that she be allowed to continue reporting from the White House without distraction. We'll have plenty of time next month to celebrate her career express our admiration, appreciation and love.

Steve Jones