Otis Raybon, president of Brookhaven Newsmedia, LLC. and publisher of The Daily Leader and Prentiss Headlight, has announced his resignation effective Friday.

Raybon has accepted another newspaper position in Rome, Ga., at the Rome News-Tribune.

Raybon lived in Rome and was publisher at the Rome News-Tribune for 16 years before coming to Brookhaven.
The position in Rome, Raybon said, presented him with an opportunity that he and his wife, Barbara, were unable to refuse.

“Rome is where our family roots are and where we plan to retire,” he said. “I trust the Brookhaven community will be happy for our move and will continue to support the newspaper and its employees as well as we have been supported. We will miss everyone, and we will miss witnessing the community growth we know is certain in the future of Brookhaven.”
Raybon said in his announcement to his employees that he and Barbara have loved living and working in Brookhaven.
“We have certainly enjoyed our time in Brookhaven, and we’ve been well received, personally and professionally by the business community, “Raybon said. “We appreciate the many new friends and customers that we would have never gotten to know otherwise. The Daily Leader is fortunate to serve a great community with a vision for the future.”

Raybon said he also wants to recognize the employees of The Daily Leader for their hard work and dedication.

“We have enjoyed working with a group of fine people dedicated to producing a better newspaper and online services that inform and entertain this community and other communities in Brookhaven and Southwest Mississippi,” he said. “Our readers and advertisers can be rest assured that their local newspaper will continue to improve daily.”
Raybon’s successor will be named at a later time, said Kevin Cooper, Vice President of Boone Newspapers, which owns The Daily Leader. Cooper will serve as interim publisher until a new publisher is selected.