Rebecca Leclair resigns from Channel 10

Local news anchor and longtime reporter Rebecca Leclair has resigned from WHEC–TV (Channel 10), the station announced Monday.

Leclair, a native of Geneseo, Livingston County, started her career in Elmira in 1986 at an NBC-affiliated station, according to her biography on WHEC–TV's website. She was hired at WHEC in 1988 and became an anchor in 1994, handling major trials and breaking news, such as the death of Rochester Police Officer Daryl Pierson in 2014.

"The last 29 years have been tremendously rewarding to me both professionally and personally," LeClair said in a statement posted on Channel 10's website. She said she had asked to be released from the remainder of her contract.

Leclair added, “I look forward to spending more time with my kids ... and more ‘date nights’ with my husband Paul.”

In an email, she wrote, “I am excited about serving in a variety of communications roles within the community and forging ahead with a new firm I’m creating, Leclair Communications, LLC.”

Derek Dalton, vice president and general manager of WHEC, praised Leclair in a statement as a “consummate professional” and someone whose “dedication to numerous non-profit organizations brought awareness to issues and problems ... smiles to children’s faces and donations to those charities.”

Earlier this month, WHEC announced it had declined to renew an option on meteorologist Kevin Williams' contract.

Williams had one year remaining on the contract, due to begin Sept. 1. He had been with the station for 21 years. He operates a meteorological consulting firm, and says he'll dedicate more time to that business, according to a Facebook post.

In a statement then, Dalton said: "We made a very difficult strategic decision to opt out of the final year of Kevin’s contract. We thank Kevin for the many years of service to WHEC-TV and the Rochester community."

The station lost another major Rochester media name when anchor Janet Lomax retired late last year after 36 years there. Lomax came to WHEC-TV in 1980 after several years at her hometown station in Louisville, Kentucky.

STADDEO@Gannett.com