Adam Prestridge, managing editor of The Luverne Journal, has been named president and publisher of Atmore Newspapers, Inc., publishers of the Atmore Advance and Extra.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to serve as publisher in Atmore," Prestridge said. "Although it will be hard to leave Luverne, a community that has welcomed me with open arms, I believe this is a great opportunity in my career."

Prestridge served as sports editor of Greenville Newspapers, LLC., publisher of the Journal, prior to being named managing editor in Luverne.

Although Prestridge is excited about the opportunity in Atmore he will miss the friendships he has made during his time in Luverne.

"It will be hard to leave such a wonderful small town full of wonderful people," he said. "It's hard to meet a stranger in Crenshaw County."

Prestridge begins in Atmore today and he and his wife, Jennifer, are eager to begin this new phase in their lives.

"Adam has done an excellent job serving the communities of Greenville and Luverne and as earned the opportunity in Atmore that has been presented to him," Greenville Newspapers' president and publisher Dennis Palmer said. "I know he and Jennifer are excited about calling Atmore home and we are truly going to miss him and what he's been able to provide our readers through marked content improvements in The Luverne Journal."

Prestridge, a native of Gardendale, began his newspaper career as a junior in high school as a freelance writer for The North Jefferson News, the same year he was named Alabama’s state representative for the Washington Journalism Conference in Washington, D.C. Prestridge was hired as a staff reporter at The North Jefferson News in 1998 and was promoted to sports editor eight months later.

After six and a half years he left his hometown newspaper in 2003 to serve as sports editor of Greenville Newspapers, which publishes The Greenville Advocate, The Luverne Journal, The Butler County News and The Lowndes Signal.

A member of the Alabama Sports Writers Association, Prestridge was previously named Young Businessman of the Year by the Greater Gardendale Chamber of Commerce. He has won a number of awards from the Alabama Press Association throughout his career, including first-place honors for &uot;Best Sports Page,&uot; &uot;Best Sports Story,&uot; and &uot;Best Page Design&uot; as well as several other journalism awards.

Prestridge was a guest columnist for The Pet Dealer, a national publication, in 1996. He has also done freelance work for The Kokomo Tribune in Kokomo, Ind., The Birmingham News, The Associated Press, The Wildcat, which is the U.S. Army’s 81st Regional Support Command’s newspaper and for WIAT InstaSports, an up-to-date sports website for CBS.

Prestridge, who is a current member of the Luverne Rotary Club, is a past member of the Greater Gardendale Chamber of Commerce and the Fultondale Chamber of Commerce, where he served as Secretary. In 2003, he was the recipient of the Tireless Worker Award presented by the Fultondale Chamber.

Palmer said Prestridge's replacement will be announced in the coming weeks.

"We are actively searching for someone to replace Adam and the person we're looking for will be someone who will make a strong commitment to continuing the trend of providing timely news, sports and lifestyles coverage that has become the norm to our readers in Crenshaw County."