Stacy Graning, 54, has been named Mississippi Regional Editor for Boone Newspapers Inc., [BNI], and general manager of The Brookhaven Daily Leader and The Prentiss Headlight, as well as affiliated publications.

Graning previously served for nearly 20 years as president and publisher of Troy Publications, Inc., publisher of The (Troy, Alabama) Messenger and TroyLife magazine. Prior to that, she served as editor of The Natchez Democrat.

“I started my newspaper career with The Democrat in Southwest Mississippi and am thrilled to be able to return to the area and work in the state that remains home in my heart,” Graning said.

A graduate of Pascagoula High School and the University of Mississippi, Graning spent 13 years in Natchez before moving to Alabama and has earned national, state and regional awards for news, feature and column writing; editing; and layout and design.

As Mississippi Regional Editor, Graning will work with BNI-owned newspapers and websites in Oxford, Batesville, Vicksburg, Natchez, Brookhaven and Prentiss.

“I’m passionate about the important role we play in telling a community’s story and reporting news across digital and print
platforms,” she said. “I look forward to able share what I’ve learned through my 30 years of community journalism to help local newsrooms continue to engage and lead in their communities.”

Graning will live in Brookhaven, where she will be general manager of The Daily Leader and The Prentiss Headlight. “These newspapers have a tremendous legacy in Southwest Mississippi and building on that is important,” she said. “I look forward to becoming a part of the communities they serve.”

“It will be good for these newspapers to have Stacy back with us in Southwest Mississippi and living in Brookhaven,” said Todd Carpenter, CEO of Boone Newspapers (BNI) and president of Natchez Newspapers, jointly with Jim Boone, chairman of BNI. “She will lead our efforts to improve newspapers in print and digital,” and Todd said, “Those of us in this area look forward
to what she will add.”

“Readers in Brookhaven will come to love Stacy and what she brings to The Daily Leader, and Stacy will quickly come to love Brookhaven, just as I did,” said Jan Griffey, general manager in Natchez, who served for about a year as general manager in Brookhaven. “We look forward to seeing what she accomplishes in Brookhaven, as well as improvements in content she will lead at
our other Mississippi newspapers.”

Graning has two sons: Thomas, 26, a photographer at The University of Mississippi, and Wright, 24, who with his father runs Graning Stores, Inc., in Natchez.