Home  News Latest Bruce named MPA executive director
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Bruce named MPA executive director |
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 Layne Bruce, MPA/MPS executive director
JACKSON, Miss. — A longtime Mississippi editor and publisher has been named the first new director in over two decades for the state’s newspaper association.
Layne Bruce, 34, of Madison, was named executive director of the Mississippi Press Association, the trade organization for over 100 member newspapers in the state. He succeeds Carolyn Wilson, 60, of Sandy Hook, who announced in January her retirement after 25 years with the association.
Carolyn Wilson, former executive director of MPA/MPS The transition took effect Thursday and was announced by MPA President Marcus Bowers, publisher and editor of the Rankin County News in Brandon.
Bruce has been serving the past year as director of marketing for the press association and managed its advertising business unit, Mississippi Press Services. In his new capacity, Bruce will assume management responsibilities for the two organizations, as well as the non-profit MPA Education Foundation.
Prior to joining MPA, Bruce was publisher of the DeSoto County Tribune
in Olive Branch and The Star-Herald in Kosciusko. He is a former editor
and general manager of his hometown newspaper, the Daily Times Leader
in West Point. He has also served as editor and general manager of the
Glasgow (Ky.) Daily Times.
He served as a reporter for the Starkville Daily News and the Webster
Progress-Times in Eupora while studying communications and journalism
at Mississippi State.
“Layne is well known to our members for his longtime involvement with
the association and his work as the marketing director over the past
year,” Bowers said. “He is a great advocate for newspapers and believes
passionately in our future as an industry and the importance of the
fourth estate to the communities we serve. Carolyn, I and the board
could not be more pleased to have a long-time member of our newspaper
family take this important leadership role.”
He began his newspaper career nearly 20 years ago in the Times Leader’s
production department. His father, Roy “Spanky” Bruce, served as the
paper’s editor and publisher for many years before his death in 1993.
A Paul Harris Fellow in Rotary International, Bruce is a former member
of the boards of directors of the Kosciusko-Attala Chamber of Commerce
and Clay County Economic Development Corp. He is a former president of
the Kosciusko Main Street Association and a past board member for the
MPA Education Foundation.
He is an annual volunteer for United Way and a former board member for the Red Cross.
“It is an honor to take the leadership role with MPA,” Bruce said. “I’m
very grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many talented
newspaper professionals and represent their newspapers to the best of
my ability.
“I am also indebted to Carolyn Wilson for her years of service and the
support and counsel she has given to me through my career.”
 Carolyn Wilson
“When asked about someone to take the reins and proceed to grow the
association and its affiliate organizations, my response was an easy
one to make. I have known Layne Bruce since he began his career in the
newspaper industry, and have watched him mature into one of the finest
young newspaper executives I’ve had the pleasure to know,” Wilson said.
“Not only is he knowledgeable about newspapers and related technology,
but he has experience from being in the trenches at community
newspapers of all sizes and frequencies, including top level management
roles.”
In retirement, Wilson will continue as a management consultant for the
association and sister organizations. Bowers praised her for her
efforts to strengthen the role of the state’s press and improve the
position of the association.
“It has been a pleasure to work with her over these years to help grow
the association and its related organizations into an operation that is
vital to us and something we can all be proud of,” Bowers said. “We are
pleased to say Carolyn will continue as a consultant for our
organizations, providing valuable insight and perspective as needed in
the months to come.”
Under her leadership, the organization grew to a peak of a dozen
employees and handled over $5 million in advertising business for its
member papers. During her tenure, she has worked on behalf of MPA
newspapers on such cornerstone issues as open records and sunshine
laws, as well as internships for journalism students and continuing
education for member employees.
Bowers said Wilson will be honored for her two-and-a-half decades of
service to MPA during the organization’s 141st annual convention this
summer in Biloxi.
Established in 1866, MPA is the sixth-oldest operating association of
its kind in the nation, representing over 100 member newspapers in the
state. MPS, founded in 1978, serves as an advertising representative
for the state’s newspapers and handles ad placement services as well as
cooperative ad networks. MPAEF administers journalism internships,
grants for services and education programs for aspiring journalists.
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