Vea will join Kim Brown and Associates advertising agency in September as a senior account executive, it was announced Friday. The agency is based in Salt Lake City.

Vea said it took several months for her to make the "difficult" decision to move from news to advertising. But it will allow her to balance a career with family obligations, which include spending more time with her 2-year-old son.

Vea had nothing but praise for the newsroom she has worked with for the past 13 years.

"KUTV is my home away from home," she said. "I love this station."

Vea has been the station's news director for three years. She was nominated for an Emmy for overseeing coverage of the Trolley Square shooting in 2007. She has received awards from the Utah Broadcasters Association for best newscast and best children's initiative. She also worked as an assistant news director and executive producer with Channel 2.

About a dozen KUTV employees were laid off earlier this month to deal with slumping advertising sales. Vea said that decision has nothing to do with her departure and that "the timing was unfortunate."

The new job, "was too good for me to pass up," she said. "It was absolutely my own decision."

Kim Brown and Associates is a full-service advertising and public relations agency that provides account management for branding and identity campaigns and specializes in Web marketing, media placement and special event coordination.

"We are honored to have Tanya join our agency," Kim Brown said in a statement released Friday. "She brings such a wealth of knowledge and professionalism. Tanya has the advantage of looking at marketing from a different perspective and we know she'll be a tremendous asset to our company as well as the clients she serves."

jbergreen@sltrib.com