Connect Savannah names new executive editor

Heike Currie will join the Connect Savannah staff May 31 as executive editor and will lead the newsroom through its continued transformation into a digital-focused news platform while continuing to provide direction for the print magazine.

Currie brings a wealth of work and educational experience to the role. Most recently she served as the education manager for the Savannah Music Festival. She has held a number of professional roles in education and news. She started her news media career as a copy editor for the Danville (VA) Register & Bee and spent time as an educator in the Northeast and in the South.

Reporting to the publisher and as a member of the executive team, the editor’s position is responsible for leading the news and information vision, managing a team of staff and freelance correspondents, devising innovative strategies that grow readership engagement online and in print, and nurturing a newsroom culture of excellence.

Among the many reasons she is excited about the role, Currie highlights an eagerness to see Connect Savannah expand its reliability and comprehensiveness in coverage. She also looks forward to connecting with the reading audience so that the publication may continue to remain grounded in what is most impactful to the Savannah community.

As publisher Rufus Friday noted, “Heike 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 thrilled that someone with her background and ties to this community is joining our team in this vital role.”

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.

“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 are going to do whatever we can to take Connect to the next level,” Friday said when he became publisher in February.

Currie said, “News platforms – whether old, new, or a blend of the two – are essential to our society. As such, a primary goal of mine with Connect Savannah digital news is to deliver with fidelity and timeliness the stories that matter most to the daily lives of people in Savannah. The print magazine will continue as the prime source of must-know arts and culture information in Savannah. I take on this role with the belief that integrity and listening remain cornerstones of journalistic excellence. They are also the keys to success with which I approach this amazing opportunity to work with Metro Market Media, Publisher Friday, and the Connect Savannah staff."

Heike is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta and earned master’s degrees from Syracuse University and Harvard University. She is proficient in Spanish and was formally trained in music and dance.