As new AJC opinion editor, I am eager to connect with the community

Two years ago, my parents followed my sister and her family to Georgia and settled in Cumming, and on my many visits to see them, I realized that I wanted to be closer to them one day.

That became a reality when I joined the staff of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as the new opinion editor on May 5. I moved to the metro Atlanta area on May 18, and I am grateful to join this team and serve the city, state and region.

From Sunshine State to Volunteer State to Peach State

My journalism career began in 2000 at The News-Press in Fort Myers, Florida. I started as a reporter, initially covering breaking news, but I developed a passion for covering K-12 and higher education — influenced by my parents’ vocation.

That led me to my first editing job in 2004, leading the Spanish-language news weekly Gaceta Tropical. Two years later, I stepped into my dream job, serving as opinion editor.

Historically, journalists became editorial page editors after several decades on the job, but the disruption of the news industry created opportunities for colleagues and me who welcomed the digital revolution and thrived on being on the ground in the community leading conversations on issues of the day. That included organizing events around relevant public policy issues in addition to writing columns and editorials.

In 2014, I took on the role of opinion editor at The Tennessean in Nashville, where I led projects and initiatives on transit, affordable housing and civic engagement. The latter focused on promoting, encouraging and modeling a citizenship mindset of thoughtful and passionate dialogue to strengthen communities.

I moderated federal, state and local candidate forums across the state of Tennessee, and developed relationships with rural communities and residents to exchange ideas about how to solve pressing problems of the day from health care access to regional transportation challenges.

During my time at The Tennessean, I also helped lead the Black and Latino Tennessee Voices initiatives which centered on shifting the newsroom from telling stories about communities of color to telling stories for, with and by them.

My hope in Atlanta and across Georgia is to create more avenues for authentic engagement on challenging issues of the day. At a time of political polarization, this is a moment for citizens to be present with each other and to challenge each other peacefully, respectfully and thoughtfully.

Then there’s the traffic

Since joining the AJC, I am getting better acquainted with the myriad areas of coverage from Politically Georgia to multiple sports teams and events to UATL.

Editor-in-Chief Leroy Chapman took me to a Rotary Club of Atlanta meeting on May 19 where I met the day’s keynote speaker, U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, who wrote a guest opinion column in the AJC about clean energy tax credits and their importance to good-paying jobs across the Peach State.

Then, of course, there’s the traffic. My first morning commute took me nearly two hours, but I kept myself busy with podcasts and phone calls, and I have calmed myself with walks at Piedmont Park near the AJC’s offices in Midtown.

Soon, my husband Darren and our dogs Millie Mae and Bandit, will join me in metro Atlanta, and I am excited to be running in the upcoming Peachtree Road Race on July 4.

I come to the AJC with curiosity, the knowledge that I have a lot to learn, and the willingness to be a part of the community. I am thankful to my colleagues and community members who have welcomed me here.

My goal is to share thoughts, observations and analysis with a fresh set of eyes through regular columns.

At the same time, we always welcome your viewpoints in the AJC. Send guest opinion columns of 750 words max to opinion@ajc.com and letters of 200 words max to letters@ajc.com.

I hope to hear from you.

David Plazas is the opinion editor for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Email him at david.plazas@ajc.com.