SFR Names New Publisher: Jeff Norris

Today, SFR welcomes Jeff Norris, the digital development director for New Mexico Magazine, as our incoming publisher.

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Norris, 53, has a long and varied journalistic career.

He got his start at the Rockdale Citizen in Rockdale County, Georgia (which, he'll tell you, is where the accent comes from—not Texas).

"I was the sports editor for years upon years," Norris says. "I wrote 10-15 stories a week, seven days—I was one guy covering two high schools."

Eventually, when the circulation director position came open, Norris took a leap. He's since worked as technology director at the Santa Fe New Mexican and recently lived as an artist-in-residence at El Zaguán, writing fiction. (Incidentally, he also won SFR's 2008 fiction-writing contest.)

"Jeff has a unique set of skills that makes him perfect for the Reporter: First, he's got deep roots in Santa Fe and loves this city," says Mark Zusman, the editor of Portland's Willamette Week and co-owner of SFR. "Second, he's got experience in virtually every aspect of the media business, from sales to editorial to production. Lastly, he has a clear sense of the digital future and where the Reporter ought to be placing itself in that context."

Norris says he's eager to learn as much as he can about working at SFR.

"It's an interesting situation to walk into, and all I can do is do the best I can," he says.

Norris' first day will be July 24, the day SFR's annual Best of Santa Fe issue publishes. Current publisher Andy Dudzik, who announced last month that he will be leaving, will remain at SFR until then.

Santa Fe Reporter