Northwest Florida Daily News publisher Skip Foster is moving to Seminole central.
Foster announced Monday morning he will be leaving to become president and publisher of the Tallahassee Democrat, a Gannett newspaper.
It is a dream job for Foster, a Lakeland native.
“The Fosters don’t move on a whim — we spent 22 years in the same area of North Carolina and planned on settling in to our incredible new community in Northwest Florida,” said Foster, who took the helm of the Daily News in mid-2013. “Only a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live and work in Tallahassee, home to family and friends, lured us away from this place we have come to know and love.”
In a relatively short time, Foster brought big changes to the Daily News. On his first day on the job, he began a community-wide outreach effort. Based on what he heard from readers and community leaders, he elevated the discourse of the paper’s Opinion section.
Foster also restructured the newsroom to place a premium on local news, which now holds a larger content share through all of the newspaper’s sections. He also rebuilt the newspaper’s features department and bolstered the Daily News’ award-winning sports coverage by adding a third reporter to the sports team.
But it is a legacy of community involvement — individually and a rekindled sense among the Daily News team — that will define Foster’s tenure at the paper.
“I have been fortunate to meet inspiring community leaders, whose heartfelt devotion to making this community a better place is obvious,” said Foster, who served on the boards of the United Way and Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.
And those leaders will miss Foster’s optimism and community-minded approach to journalism.
“I personally credit him for grasping the wonderfulness of this community and allowing the Daily News the opportunity of reminding us daily — that, yes there are good and bad stories occurring around the world — however, it is always better to have more good stories than bad,” said Chamber president Ted Corcoran. “Good stories sell papers too!”
Okaloosa County Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel agreed.
“He is a visionary in his field at a time when many newspapers are struggling,” Ketchel said. “He was able to tap into the community and its desire for strong and positive reporting on local events, government, military and sports.”
Prior to arriving in Northwest Florida, Foster was longtime publisher and editor of the Shelby Star in North Carolina.
His last day at the Daily News will be Jan. 2.
“It has been an honor to watch the hard-working, creative and resourceful employees of the Daily News inform, entertain, serve and connect with this great community,” Foster said. “I have so much respect for all of them and what they have accomplished.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: NWFL Daily News publisher moving to Tallahassee Democrat