Bill Atkinson, an accomplished newspaper executive, has been appointed publisher of The Meridian Star.

His appointment was announced by Donna Barrett, president and CEO of CNHI, LLC., The Star's parent company.

A Wyoming County native with more than a decade of newspaper circulation experience is joining HD Media as group vice president of audience development.

Nadine McBride, who has led The Bulletin (Norwich, Conn.) for almost five years as its publisher, is leaving to take an executive position in New London.

There has been a change in some editing responsibilities at The Daytona Beach News-Journal, as part of a newsroom reorganizing announced to the staff this past week by News-Journal Editor Pat Rice.

John Gallas, a veteran of more than 20 years in the News-Journal newsroom, has been named the newspaper's managing editor.

Jim Van Nostrand, previously editor of the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Ore., has been named as the new state editor for GateHouse in Missouri.

Riley Bunch is CNHI's new statehouse reporter. She is a former reporter for the Idaho Press newspaper, where she covered state and national politics and dabbled in education and social issues.

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications has announced that Vanessa Wakeman, founder and CEO of The Wakeman Agency, one of the nation's leading social change agencies, has joined the College as a Public Relations Department professional-in-residence for the 2019-20 academic year.

Carl Esposito, publisher of The Daily Times in Maryville, Tenn., for nine years and regional president for Adams Publishing Group for nearly three years, will retire effective Nov. 1.

Bryan Sandmeier, general manager of The Daily Times, will be promoted to publisher.

Paul W. Mauney, general manager of The Greeneville Sun and Adams' chief revenue officer for this region, will replace Esposito as regional president for Adams' Tennessee/North Carolina/Virginia group.

Richard "Rick" Kennedy, a 34-year media veteran, has been named managing editor of the Pine Bluff (Ark.) Commercial.

Rebecca Alexander, the publisher of Summerville Communications Inc. and 11-year veteran of its parent company, Evening Post Industries, has been named publisher of Oxford Newsmedia, LLC, Batesville Newsmedia, LLC and related products including The Panolian in Batesville, The Oxford Eagle and Oxford Magazine.