A former deputy state editor for the Hartford Courant has been appointed the interim executive director of the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government group.

Jim Welch, part of a Courant team that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2013 for its coverage of the Sandy Hook school shooting, succeeded Katherine L. Garner on Friday as head of the non-profit organization.

The group was formed in 1991 by a cadre of Connecticut journalists, lawyers and residents to educate the public about the importance of government transparency.

Welch, a Wethersfield resident who previously worked as a digital producer and homepage editor for the Courant, is currently a freelance digital editor and reporter for Connecticut Public. He also works as the marketing and development coordinator at West Hartford’s Bronze Academy.