David Plazas joined the staff of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on May 5 as deputy managing editor, opinion, serving as an editorial board member. He is leading the esteemed publication’s opinion and engagement efforts, including editorial writing, editing opinion submissions, and conducting community conversations on topical issues.
Plazas previously worked at Gannett Co. for 25 years, most recently as opinion and engagement director for The Tennessean and the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He led the publication’s Civility Tennessee campaign, coordinated the Black and Latino Tennessee Voices initiatives, wrote nationally award-winning editorials, and moderated multiple federal, state, and local candidate political forums. He started his career as a reporter at The News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida shortly after completing his MSJ at Medill. He rose the ranks, including serving as Spanish-language community editor, community conversations editor and digital engagement editor.