Rotarian William “Randy” Deason came to Bluefield from Atlanta, Georgia in October of 2002 as publisher of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, the next step in a newspaper career that began more than 20 yea
rs ago when he went to work in the Circulation Department of the Tallahassee Democrat near his Quincy, Florida home. He is a fourth generation Floridian, and his parents and two brothers still live there.
Along the way from Tallahassee to Bluefield, Randy worked on papers in Macon, Ga., State College, Pa., Valdosta, Ga., Tifton, Ga., and Atlanta. He earned a communications degree from Mercer University in Macon, and prior to that attended Troy State University, and was named one of the 20 most promising newspaper executives under the age of 40 in the US by Press Times magazine in 1996.
Our mountains and climate are two things Randy likes about the area, and he said “the snow doesn’t bother me.” Coming to Bluefield from outside, his unbiased perspective led him to quickly realize the importance of cooperation and the necessity of developing a regional view if the area is to prosper. He wants the Telegraph to a better job of reflecting the flavor of the area, and to be a vehicle to promote the area, enhance the quality of life, and spur economic development.
Randy is married to Stephanie Lester, whom he met while working in State College, Pa., and they have three children, 12 year-old twins Nathan and Nicholas, and Liam, age 6. The family lives in Bluefield, Virginia.
He currently serves on the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and was a member of the Clayton County Rotary Club in Atlanta. We are pleased that Randy is continuing his Rotary service at our club.