Donna B. Hall, publisher of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which is owned by Cox Enterprises, has announced she will retire at the end of April. Hall has been with the company for 35 years and was named publisher of the AJC, Dayton Daily News and Cox's other Ohio newspapers in 2019.
"As a person who cares deeply about the essential role journalism plays in our communities, this was a hard decision for me in many ways," said Hall. "I want to thank everyone I've worked with for all they've done to help make us successful. You've helped make the past three years some of the most rewarding of my career and I can't thank you enough."
Hall has had many successful contributions during her time as publisher, including leading the growth of digital-only subscriptions, increasing advertising revenue, developing additional news platforms and fostering even deeper ties between newspapers and the community. Cox Enterprises will announce leadership plans for the organization in the weeks ahead.
"We are all very appreciative of the work Donna has done for the Cox newspapers over the past three years," said Sandy Schwartz, the chief executive officer of the Cox Family Office who also oversees the company's newspapers in Atlanta and Ohio. "Donna came in and did an excellent job moving the AJC from Cox Media Group and setting it up as an independent operation. Most important, though, we are grateful for her many contributions during her 35 years with Cox. We celebrate her wonderful career and wish her the very best in the future."
Before her time as publisher, Hall was the vice president of marketing, radio and newspaper operations for Cox Media Group (CMG). Prior to that, she was the vice president and market manager for Cox's Atlanta radio stations. She also has been vice president of sales for Cox Media and senior vice president of marketing and audience development for CMG. She has a master's in business administration from the University of Georgia.
