THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 12, 1996 TAG: 9611120229
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 70 lines
Kay Tucker Addis took command of the region's largest news-gathering operation Monday, when the 22-year veteran of the newspapers was named editor of The Virginian-Pilot.
Publisher R. Bruce Bradley announced he had chosen the Altavista native to an assembly of reporters and editors, who applauded Addis' promise that she would help ``create the good new days'' at the 205,000-circulation daily.
``I want The Virginian-Pilot to be an essential part of the lives of everyone in Hampton Roads and want us to do everything in our power to bring that about,'' Addis said. ``This is a pivotal time for The Virginian-Pilot, and for newspapers in general.
``I look forward to helping to lead the newsroom into the 21st century.''
The promotion is the latest in a career that saw her work as a reporter at the Richmond News Leader and as a copy editor and sports writer for the Charlotte News before she arrived in Hampton Roads.
Hired as a reporter by the afternoon Ledger-Star in 1974, Addis rose rapidly through the paper's ranks, becoming its city editor, the editor of the Daily Break, its projects editor and assistant managing editor.
She was named deputy managing editor of the combined Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star in 1984 - and third-in-command of a news-gathering team of more than 200 reporters and editors. Seven years later, she became deputy executive editor, leading the newsroom's research, marketing, planning, recruiting and training efforts.
Shortly after that promotion, Addis left the newsroom to head The Virginian-Pilot's human resources department, where she oversaw the paper's adoption of team-based management, among other devel-opments.
``I've worked with her for five years,'' Bradley said Monday, following his remarks to the news staff, ``and she is someone who gets things done.
``She's not a one-man show, by any means. She motivates people to get it done and doesn't worry about seeking attention for herself. To me, she has a very engaging leadership style.''
Her five years out of the newsroom changed her perspective on the work performed by reporters and editors, she said in an interview.
``It was a wonderful opportunity to read the newspaper as a reader. I read the paper because I wanted to, not because I had to - and there were things that bothered me as a reader that might not have bothered me as an editor. And, like many readers, I found I'd marvel over some stories, and agonize over tiny mistakes.
``I grew up in news and I love news. I'm excited about coming home.''
The mother of an 18-year-old daughter, Virginia, a first-year student at the University of Virginia, Addis is married to Dave Addis, an award-winning Pilot reporter and columnist.
Kay Addis replaces Cole C. Campbell, who departed in late September after overseeing three years of great change at the newspaper. A relative newcomer to Hampton Roads when he took the job, Campbell spearheaded The Pilot's reorganization and redesign, and he became a national exponent of public, or civic, journalism - a much-debated news gathering style that emphasizes citizens' expectations, hopes and fears rather than traditional coverage of political campaigns and government institutions.
Addis, absent from the newsroom during Campbell's tenure, warned her colleagues against concluding that the paper's leadership had been handed back to an ``old guard.''
``I do hope that all of you know that this doesn't mean we're going back to the past,'' she said. ``I hope that we can create the good new days.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
TAMARA VONINSKI
The Virginian-Pilot
Beginning as a Ledger-Star reporter in 1974, Kay Tucker Addis rose
through a variety of editing and executive positions. Most recently,
she led The Pilot's human resources department. by CNB