Tolley named executive editor of The State

Brian Tolley, executive editor of The Island Packet in Hilton Head Island and The Beaufort Gazette, has been named to the same position at The State.

Tolley, 54, has strong ties to South Carolina. Besides serving for three years as editor of the two Lowcountry newsrooms, he is a former assistant managing editor at The State. His wife, Pam, is a Columbia native and a Columbia College graduate.

"It's a wonderful chance for somewhat of a homecoming for me," said Tolley, who worked at The State for seven years before leaving in 2005. "The State has had such a good news team for as long as I can remember, and I'm excited to be a part of it again."

Tolley succeeds Mark E. Lett, who retired last month.

Under Tolley’s leadership, the Packet and Gazette have received multiple awards and recognition for their work investigating deaths along I-95 in the Lowcountry, an in-depth look at Hilton Head's workforce and housing crisis, and covering the devastation brought by Hurricane Matthew.

The Island Packet’s Hurricane Matthew coverage won first place among all S.C. newspapers for outstanding breaking news in the state Press Association’s 2016 news contest.

Also, the newsroom’s online storm center – which answered readers’ questions in real time - was recognized by the press association as the most innovative concept of 2016.

“Brian is a great journalist who understands that the core of what we do remains strong journalism,” said Sara Johnson Borton, president and publisher of The State.

“He is a creative thinker with a strategic vision for our future. He is passionate about digital opportunities that help us grow our audience.”

Borton is also president and publisher of the Packet and Gazette. All three media companies are owned by The McClatchy Co., which also owns The Herald in Rock Hill, The Sun News of Myrtle Beach, and The Charlotte Observer.

In addition to his new role in Columbia, Tolley will continue to lead the news teams in Hilton Head and Beaufort.

Tolley said pursuing top-level journalism and a commitment to creating a digital culture have been and will continue to be top priorities.

At the Packet, he changed the way the paper gathered and published news, creating a projects reporting team, overhauling legacy jobs and work shifts, introducing new jobs for a modern newsroom and using readership metrics to better understand and reach the newsroom’s audience.

Before moving to Hilton Head in 2014, Tolley led newsrooms at The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Miss.; The Daily Advertiser in Lafayette, La.; and The Fayetteville Observer in North Carolina. Each paper was named best in its class by its state press association at least once during Tolley's tenure, as was the Packet in 2016.

Tolley and his wife have five adult children.

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 1:10 PM with the headline "Tolley named executive editor of The State."