A little over two years ago, I’m not sure I could’ve pinpointed LaGrange, Georgia on a map. I’d never been to Troup County, so when I was asked to take over as editor of The LaGrange Daily News, I asked for a trip to town first.

Naturally, I wanted to see where I’d be moving, to make sure it was going to be a good fit. It didn’t take Alyssa and I long to know this was a place we could move to, start a family and be really happy. At this moment, there’s no place we’d rather be.

LaGrange has really become home, especially for my two kids, who were both born here. This community has genuinely embraced us.

That’s why I’m so excited to be taking on a new role, as I move into the position of publisher and president of the LDN. It’s a change, one that will bring additional responsibility and new challenges, but I know with the staff we have on hand that we’re in good shape as we move into the future.

Although I’m the publisher, I’ll still be keeping on my editor hat, giving me the opportunity to write and have a hands-on role with the daily design of the newspaper and magazines. Writing is what got me into the newspaper business, and at the end of the day, a well-written, informative story is what I enjoy the most about my job.

As publisher, my goal is to keep this newspaper on the upward climb it’s been on for the last several years. Under our current publisher, Baker Ellis — who will be here until the end of the month — The LaGrange Daily News has taken great strides. Last month, we were named the top newspaper in our division, and earlier this year we were named a Small Business of the Year by the LaGrange-Troup County Chamber of Commerce.

At the end of the day, our goal is still to provide top-notch news coverage on topics that impact the people of LaGrange and Troup County. That doesn’t mean just covering crime stories or items with a “negative” impact. It means telling the stories of real people, the men and women you know that have an interesting past or who can be an inspiration after overcoming a troubling time in life.

To our advertisers, that means working hard to provide you with the best opportunity to reach the most engaged eyeballs. It also means keeping our products up to date, which we do through a combination of print and digital advertising opportunities.

This is a chance to take on a bigger role, learn even more about this community and ensure that this newspaper, which has been around since 1843, continues to do its job as a high-quality news organization. I’m excited and thankful for the opportunity.