March 2024
Hollis R. Towns named vice president of content, editor in chief of Alabama Media Group
Howard Koplowitz | AL.com
Hollis R. Towns has been named vice president of content and editor in chief of Alabama Media Group, the company has announced.
A native of Fort Valley, Georgia, Towns comes to AMG from Gannett, where he oversaw 160 daily newspapers and news websites across the country as Gannett’s vice president for local news and regional editor.
Towns’ first day at AMG will be March 25.
September 2022
Towns promoted to lead news, talent for Gannett
September 30, 2022 (New York, New York) — Hollis R. Towns has been promoted to vice president of news and talent for the USA TODAY Network, reporting to Nicole Carroll, president of the news and editor-in-chief of USA TODAY. In this role, Hollis will oversee talent recruitment and retention, Network ethics and standards, training, culture, the annual diversity audit and other initiatives that serve our communities and move our newsrooms forward.
Hollis has been the No. 2 editor in Network local news since late 2020, where he has overseen several regions and large projects. Hollis began his career with Gannett in 2004 as managing editor of The Cincinnati Enquirer. He was later promoted to executive editor before leaving Ohio in 2008 to lead the Asbury Park Press. His first job after college was as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where he covered civil rights icons and the 1996 Olympic Games.
Keeping DEI Front and Center
Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership Award Winner (2016)
Despite the current climate, I remain a steadfast believer in the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has never been about affirmative action, rather it is meant to present opportunities to qualified candidates who may be otherwise overlooked—and not just in hiring, but in their perspectives and experiences as well. Watch the video (left) to learn more.