Kevin Cooper has been named president of Ironton Publications Inc., and publisher of The Ironton Tribune, The Tribune Extra and affiliate publications.

He succeeds Bob Jodon who has left the newspaper.

Cooper has been editor of The Natchez (Miss.) Democrat, where he earlier served as managing editor.

In that Natchez role, he headed new media efforts at The Democrat and coordinated all Web Sites for Boone Newspapers' operations.

Both The Tribune and The Democrat are part of the Boone organization.

He has won numerous state, regional and national awards for Web design work, newspaper photography, writing, editorial writing and design work, including the Mississippi-Louisiana Associated Press Managing Editor Association's award for excellence in photojournalism.

"I'm excited about and humbled by the opportunity to build on the tradition of community news coverage for the Ironton community," Cooper said. "I look forward to serving this area in my new role."

A native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Cooper, 31, began his journalism career in 1993 as a photographer at The Natchez Democrat.

He received a journalism degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Later, he worked as a staff photographer for The (Biloxi, Miss.) Sun-Herald before rejoining The Natchez Democrat staff as creative director.

Cooper is on the board of

the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce's and is a graduate of the Leadership Natchez program. He is a board member of the Mississippi-Louisiana Managing Editors Association and the National Press Photographers Association.

"Ironton will be a new and challenging opportunity," Cooper said. "While I am new to the area, everyone I have met in Ironton has told me wonderful things about the community, what The Tribune has meant and can mean to this community. With the help of those working at The Tribune, I will work hard to provide Ironton with a first-rate community newspaper."

Cooper will move to Ironton in the coming weeks. From staff reports