Huntley Paton, president and publisher of the San Diego Business Journal, is leaving the organization this summer to return to North Carolina. Paton and his wife, Dawn, an occupational therapist, will be moving to be closer to their children and grandchildren. He will continue as publisher of the SDBJ until that time.
“This is a family-first decision,” Paton said. “For 32 years we have always followed my career opportunities in the business journal world, but we are about to become empty-nesters and we don’t want to be 3,000 miles away from our loved ones. Our priority now is to be there for our kids and to be able to watch our grandkids grow up. There is no better place to live and work than San Diego, and I am very proud of the talented team at the San Diego Business Journal.”
Armon Mills, publisher emeritus of the SDBJ, will be active with the business journal operations in the transition period and will lead the search for a new publisher. Mills was publisher at the SDBJ from 2004-2010 and again from 2012-2016. Paton and Mills have known each other since 1986, when they both worked for American City Business Journals.
“While I am sad to see Huntley leave San Diego, I understand the desire to be close to family,” Mills said. “I’m pleased to work with Huntley in the transition period and to have the opportunity to lead the search for a new publisher. Huntley is an outstanding publisher and individual and he will be missed in San Diego. I wish Huntley and his family the very best as they relocate back to the East Coast.”
Paton, 55, has a business-journal career spanning 32 years, the first 30 of them with American City Business Journals, where he worked as a reporter, editor, publisher and corporate executive in numerous markets before joining the SDBJ as president and publisher in September 2016.
During his tenure, the SDBJ launched several initiatives and new products, including the San Diego 500, the Military Veteran Entrepreneur Awards, the Best Real Estate Deals of the Year and a Life Sciences book, which will publish on May 21, as well as daily premium online content for subscribers.
A national search for his replacement is underway.
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“San Diego’s business community is amazing, as talented and welcoming as any I have seen,” Paton said. “I love this place, and it will be difficult to leave. I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to lead this incredible organization.”
The SDBJ has been providing local market intelligence to San Diego business leaders for almost 40 years, and today serves the business community with a growing array of products in print, web, mobile, daily newsletter updates and an audio version available in multiple languages.
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