Lester Holt, the former Chicago newsman who rose to the top echelon of broadcast news, is stepping down from his the anchor job on “NBC Nightly News.” The announcement Monday from NBC News did not specify why Holt, who turns 66 on March 8, was leaving the desk. In a note to colleagues, Holt said only that “the time has come” for the move.

Lester Holt is stepping down as the anchor of “NBC Nightly News” after a decade. The Associated Press reports Holt, 65, told NBC staff in a note Monday that he will be leaving the evening newscast early this summer. He will remain at the network and expand his work on “Dateline” with a full-time role.