Mary Hudetz, former Native Peoples Magazine editor, rejoins the AP in New Mexico

Mary Hudetz, a former Associated Press journalist and current editor of Native Peoples Magazine in Phoenix, will return to the AP in August to become the news cooperative's law enforcement reporter in Albuquerque.

The hire was announced Wednesday by Traci Carl, the AP's West editor overseeing news in 13 states.

Hudetz, 35, began her journalism career as an AP news intern in Denver in 2008, then became a reporter that year for the AP in Portland, Oregon. While there, she produced breaking news and feature stories as she reported on unemployment and homelessness in the state during the peak of the recession. She also reported on local politics, crime and courts.

In 2009, she joined the AP's West regional editing desk in Phoenix, where for more than four years she filed national breaking news and daily reports from 13 Western states. She also worked closely with reporters and editors in the West to advance coverage of Native American issues, including cultural shifts and gaps in the justice system.

"Mary is a skilled writer and thoughtful reporter who understands New Mexico," Carl said. "We are excited to have her join our team in Albuquerque."

Her nearly two-year stint as editor of the bimonthly Native Peoples Magazine began in November 2013 and elevated the publication's focus on Native American youth, the environment and tribal language preservation, while continuing its culture and arts coverage from Alaska to Maine to the Southwest.

A member of the Crow Tribe in Montana, where she grew up, Hudetz served as president of the Native American Journalists Association from 2013 to 2015. She led the organization during a significant period of growth, developing support and content for training sessions and programs for hundreds of NAJA members who cover Indian Country.

Hudetz will begin her job in Albuquerque in late August.