SJ-R's Leisa Richardson named executive editor of two South Carolina newspapers
State Journal-Register executive editor Leisa Richardson will join the Greenville News and Spartanburg Herald-Journal in the same capacity effective Feb. 19.
The announcement was made by Gannett Co., Inc. and the USA TODAY Network Monday.
Richardson joined the SJ-R in late 2019. She is also the executive editor of the Lincoln Courier in Lincoln.
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"My time in Springfield has been among the most rewarding of my career professionally and personally – thank you. I'm proud of what we've accomplished," Richardson said. "The State Journal-Register and journalism play vital roles in this community. Please continue to support the work and the journalists who produce it."
Richardson has been a reporter and editor for multiple Gannett publications including the Indianapolis Star, Cincinnati Enquirer and USA Today.
“Leisa is a proven leader who drives success and inspires journalists to be the best in the business,” said Mark Russell, VP and South Region Editor, in a news release. “We look forward to welcoming her to Greenville and all the talent and insight that she brings.”
Richardson’s work has received numerous awards and she is a lifetime member of the National Association of Black Journalists having served two terms on the organization’s board of directors. Her leadership has continued as a three-time chairperson of the organization’s national convention. She represented NABJ on the board of UNITY Journalists of Color where she was secretary and served as co-program chair for the Unity conference in Chicago.
Richardson is a past president of the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists and was a founding member and past president of NABJ/Cincinnati.
In 2022, Richardson was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame and the Ball State University School of Journalism and Strategic Communication Alumni Hall of Fame.
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Richardson studied journalism at Ball State University and newsroom management at the Maynard Institute for Journalism Education at Northwestern University's J.L. Kellogg Graduate School for Business Management, Medill School of Journalism.
The Greenville News is a daily morning newspaper and is the third largest paper in South Carolina.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Leisa Richardson will head two newspapers in South Carolina
