Savannah Morning News names Jill Nevels-Haun as executive editor

Veteran news organization leader Jill Nevels-Haun will join the Savannah Morning News as executive editor on Nov. 1, parent company Gannett announced Wednesday.

Nevels-Haun will also serve as Georgia state news director for the USA TODAY Network's two other Georgia news organizations, the Augusta Chronicle and Athens Banner-Herald. In that role, she will coordinate statewide news coverage among the three newspapers and their websites.

“The Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com have become the leading media platforms in Savannah,” Nevels-Haun said. “The comprehensive coverage of local and regional news, based on the journalistic pillars of investigative and enterprise journalism, establish the foundation from which we can continue growth. We will continue to accelerate the Savannah Morning News and savannahnow.com digital growth, strengthen community connections and enrich our journalism.”

Nevels-Haun comes to Georgia from west Texas, where she is the USA TODAY Network’s regional news director and the executive editor at the Amarillo Globe-News, the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and seven other community publications. 

She has managed the Texas publications since February 2018. She previously served as an editor with the Monroe News in Michigan; The News-Messenger in Fremont, Ohio; the News Herald in Port Clinton, Ohio; the Lexington Herald-Leader in Lexington, Kentucky.; and The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia. 

"Jill knows how to build and lead successful teams," said Hollis Towns, the USA TODAY Network's vice president for local news initiatives. "We have outstanding people in Savannah, Athens and Augusta. I’m excited about the possibilities for the future under Jill.”

Nevels-Haun is a native of Florence, Kentucky, and a graduate of Western Kentucky University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

“Jill is from Kentucky, having launched her journalism career there before heading west. With this move, she's coming back to us in the South. Savannah is a perfect landing spot,” said Pam Sander, US Southeast regional editor for Gannett.

Nevels-Haun was introduced to journalists in Savannah, Augusta and Athens in a Wednesday video conference and expressed an eagerness to continue to grow those publications’ digital reach. The online audiences for SavannahNow.com, augustachronicle.com and onlineathens.com have expanded significantly in 2021.

“Our focus is on continuing to build our community connections,” Nevels-Haun told the staff. “We won't just cover our community, we will collaborate with our community. We will strengthen our journalism and continue with the focus on watchdog reporting and expand our digital footprint.”

A second look:How the Savannah Morning News is addressing diversity -- in our newsroom and community

Nevels-Haun’s experience leading newsrooms focused on watchdog journalism and multimedia storytelling appealed to the reporters and editors in attendance, as did her pledge to build community connections. She is a Rotary Club member and a regular volunteer mentor for youth-based community programs.

“The Savannah Morning News has made significant readership strides over the past year by bringing more depth to our journalism and focusing on content that appeals to broad swaths of our audience, particularly communities of color. I’m excited by the prospect of working with a proven leader such as Jill,” said Savannah Morning News Opinion Editor Adam Van Brimmer, who has been leading the newsroom since the departure of Executive Editor Rana Cash in September. 

Cash left to become the executive editor of the Charlotte Observer. 

Savannah Morning News leadership changes:Editor Rana Cash's stay in Savannah was short, but her legacy will be long lasting

Nevels-Haun will be tasked with building on Cash's success in diversifying Savannah's newsroom staff as well as focusing on content that best serves readers, according to Amalie Nash, the senior vice president of local news for the USA TODAY network.

"Rana did some fantastic things and was a great leader so it was important to have another great leader to step in and take that next step," Nash told Savannah staffers during Wednesday's announcement call. "In her current role, Jill has led newsrooms that cover large communities without a lot of resources and kept the focus on the content that matters to readers."