The Greenville Advocate recently welcomed a new member to its staff.

Griffin Pritchard, a lifelong resident of Alex City, came aboard recently as the sports editor of the Advocate team.

Pritchard, a 2004 graduate of Troy University’s Hall School of Journalism will cover the county’s sports beat.

&uot;I am very appreciative to the staff here at the Greenville Advocate for making the right decision to bring me on board,&uot; Pritchard said. &uot;Even though this is my first official job, I have been working in community newspapers since I was in high school.&uot;

Managing Editor Jay Thomas said the addition of Pritchard would bring a fresh, new perspective to sports coverage of Butler County.

&uot;Griff is very community-minded and I think he fits in very well with the goals we have set as the community’s newspaper,&uot; Thomas said.

&uot;His experience as editor-in-chief of Troy University’s Tropolitan prepared him for immediate, real-world tasks. We are pleased to have a young man of Griff’s caliber and background here on our team.&uot;

Within days of starting at the Advocate, he was heavily involved in Hurricane Ivan coverage.

Now is ready to focus on sports coverage and other community needs.

&uot;As sports editor, I promise to provide local sports coverage without any spin or bias,&uot; he said. &uot;I have enjoyed my time here so far and look forward to meeting as many of the people in Greenville and the surrounding areas as possible. I also look forward to doing my part and getting involved with the community and becoming a vital member.&uot;

He is the son of Donnie and Louise Pritchard of Alex City.

He previously worked as a correspondent for the Alex City Outlook and also the Troy Messenger.

&uot;I’m very pleased that Griffin has joined our team,&uot; said Greenville Newspapers’ Publisher Dennis Palmer. &uot;This is Griffin’s first opportunity to serve as sports editor in a community newspaper environment, and I believe his enthusiasm and initiative will serve both the community and Greenville Newspapers well.&uot;

Call Pritchard with sports tips at 383-9203, ext. 122.