Morris Multimedia has named Dee McLelland publisher of the Coastal Courier and Bryan County News.
McLelland replaces General Manager Patty Leon, who moved to Chattanooga to take care of her parents. Leon spent 13 years with the Courier doing just about everything in and out of the newsroom before becoming general manager.
As for McLelland, he is a veteran in the newspaper business and has served as a writer, editor, general manager and publisher for newspapers throughout the Southeast.
“I believe in community newspapers,” he said. “I truly have a passion for the impact a great newspaper can have on communities like Hinesville, Richmond Hill and the surrounding areas. My goal will be to make our newspapers represent our communities in such a way that we are a vital and important part of the overall growth and success here.”
“We feel very fortunate to have Dee McLelland coming to Hinesville and Richmond Hill to lead our teams at the Coastal Courier and the Bryan County News,” said Joe McGlamery, regional vice president for Morris Multimedia.
“Dee’s strong background in operating weekly newspapers will be a big plus for these two community newspapers,” McGlamery added.
“We are grateful for the hard work provided by Patty Leon in a number of roles, the last 18 months as general manager,” McGlamery said. “We hated to lose Patty, but we certainly understood her very strong pull to relocate to Chattanooga where she could care for her aged parents. We are hopeful that she will continue to help us in some capacity, even from that distance,” McGlamery added.
McLelland has also served at several newspapers in military communities and understands those bases have a huge impact on the quality of life this area enjoys. “I have always supported our military in many ways and feel it’s an extreme honor to be able to work with Fort Stewart where my father was stationed during part of his military service,” he added.
Local schools, city and county government will also be a focus for the Coastal Courier and Bryan County News.
“We are going to renew our efforts to bring school and local government news to our readers both in print and on a digital platform. We will offer news and insights that our readers won’t, and can’t get anywhere else.”