Gretchen Carlson, a journalist and 1989 Miss America, resigned as board chair of the Miss America Organization on Wednesday.

Carlson took the job a little more than a year ago, leading an all-women group after an email scandal revealed male leadership within the organization had made denigrating and sexual remarks about the pageant's competitors.

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FILE - In this April 25, 2017 file photo, Gretchen Carlson attends the TIME 100 Gala, celebrating the 100 most influential people in the world in New York. Former Miss America winners and state pageant officials are split over the leadership and direction of the organization, which was rocked by a 2017 email scandal that led to the resignations of its top leadership.Representatives from 22 state pageants signed a petition calling for the resignations of the new Miss America board, including Chairwoman Gretchen Carlson and President and CEO Regina Hopper, The Press of Atlantic City reported Saturday, July 7, 2018. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)

Gretchen Carlson became chairwoman of the Miss America Organization after an email scandal led to the resignations of previous pageant officials. (Associated Press)

In a statement, Carlson said it was time to give new leadership an opportunity to grow the organization.

"When I was asked to take this volunteer position over a year ago, I dedicated myself to helping the organization build on its history while working to secure its future, and am extremely proud of the work we have collectively done,” she added.

Carlson pressed to make the competition more relevant by having contestants talk about their goals and community service plans in place of the decades' old swimsuit competition.

Shantel Krebs, South Dakota’s former secretary of state, will fill the role.

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Carlson, a former Fox News host, left the network in 2016, the same year she filed a sexual harassment suit against late Fox News CEO Roger Ailes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.