An accomplished veteran with over 33 years of news media and marketing experience has been named as the new publisher of Connect Savannah.
Rufus Friday will join the Connect Savannah staff Feb. 1, and will help guide the company through a major expansion and redefining of its brand and mission.
Friday’s most recent news media position was that of president and publisher for the Lexington Herald-Leader & Kentucky.com in Lexington, Ky. He also has served in top leadership positions for major news companies in North Carolina, Tennessee, Illinois, Alabama, and the state of Washington working with two of the nation’s largest media organizations, Gannett and McClatchy.
In addition to an extensive media background, Friday also was executive director for a non-profit organization focused on caring for the homeless and those with substance abuse issues, served as a special assistant to the president for the Kentucky Community and Technical College system, and has operated his own media consulting and marketing strategy business.
Friday joins Connect Savannah at a time when it is expanding the scope of its news mission in Savannah to provide an increased volume of impactful and significant local news content with a focus on digital delivery platforms.
“We are excited to have someone with Rufus’ background and knowledge joining our company. He has a wealth of experience from a career spanning many different roles in local media and is a perfect fit for what we hope to accomplish with Connect Savannah in the future,” said Charles Hill Morris Jr., owner of the Savannah-based media company.
Traditionally an arts and entertainment print publication, Connect Savannah is in the process of transitioning to a broader scope of news coverage with an increased emphasis on digital products.
Friday said he is anxious to become a part of the Savannah community and to provide the Connect Savannah audience with locally-focused media and marketing platforms for news, advertising and community events.
“Part of the vision for Connect is to focus on the news component and to provide hyperlocal news coverage for Savannah. Success for us will be driving local attention for both news readers and advertising. We’re going to do whatever we can to take Connect to the next level,” Friday said.
The incoming publisher said he was “grateful for the passion” for local news exhibited by Morris.
“The Morris family has a tremendous legacy in the market and has done so much in the way of community service. I hope to build on that,” Friday said.
Friday said he would be in “listening and learning mode” initially as he makes the transition from Lexington to Savannah, spending a lot of time with staff and meeting members of the community.
Friday has been active in the news industry at a regional and national level. He currently serves as a member of the Publisher’s Advisory Board for Stars and Stripes Newspapers based in Washington, D.C. and is a member of the board for the Southern Newspaper Publisher Association Foundation.
He also serves on the board of directors for the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville; the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg; Baptist Health Lexington; the advisory council for the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky; and the University of Kentucky’s College of Communication and Information Dean’s Leadership Council.
Friday is a former football player and graduated from North Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management and Economics. He has an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from the University of the Cumberlands, Williamsburg Kentucky.
He and his wife Melody have been married for 41 years and have a daughter, Chanel, who is a graduate of the University of Kentucky.
