By Staff
NILES - Jan Griffey begins work this week as president of Leader Publications and publisher of the Dowagiac Daily News, Niles Daily Star, Edwardsburg Argus, Cassopolis Vigilant, and The Leader, a weekly shopping guide.
She succeeds Doug Phares, who stepped down from this position to pursue other interests.
Griffey, 42, has been the editor and vice president of Leader Publications for the past three years.
She began her work in Niles in 1989 as managing editor of the Niles Daily Star.
Griffey is a native of Natchez, Miss., and a 1980 graduate of South Natchez-Adams High School. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, La., in 1984, where she was managing editor of her college newspaper, The Vermilion. During college, Griffey worked as an intern in a variety of departments at The Natchez Democrat, her hometown newspaper.
After college graduation, Griffey began work as a reporter at The Ironton (Ohio) Tribune, where she later became managing editor.
She worked as news editor of the Galveston Daily News in Galveston, Texas, before coming to Niles.
Griffey, who is single, lives in Niles.
Leader Publications, headquartered in Niles and with offices in Dowagiac, publishes the Niles Daily Star, Dowagiac Daily News, Cassopolis Vigilant, Edwardsburg Argus and The Leader.