Cullman County draws new residents like no other Alabama locale.

For some, it’s the robust development. For others, it’s the climate.

For Tom Mayer, it’s community journalism.

Mayer has been named editor of The Cullman Times.

Armed with 24 years experience and a passion for his field, Mayer comes to Cullman County from Athens, Ala., where he served as the editor of The News Courier. Prior to that, he had spent 12 years in the mountains of North Carolina as the executive editor of Mountain Times Publications.

“I have a strong belief in community journalism, which brought me to Alabama,” said Mayer, who had also previously worked in Mississippi, Florida and New York in addition to North Carolina. “My personal philosophy is that community journalism is still and will be the future of newspapers, because we provide what other media outlets cannot provide. There are so many other avenues to get news, but only in your local newspaper can you find local content.”

And as a Navy veteran, Mayer’s passion runs deep.

“As a Navy vet — I was a nuclear reactor operator — I’d spent a few years in math and sciences, but decided to go back to my first love, which was English,” Mayer said. “So, I jumped ship and took a job as a reporter and just fell in love with it, writing in a community direction and making a difference in the places we live, work and play.”

Mayer holds a master’s degree in English, has taught on the college level, and has worked in community newspapers from upstate New York in the Lake Ontario area to southern Mississippi.

As editor of The Cullman Times, Mayer oversees operations of the newspaper editorial content. He intends to curate a more specific passion — the editorial page.

“The Cullman Times is our paper of record — the news source for all things local, never losing that focus,” he said. “We need to hold accountable those who need to be held accountable, promote those who need to be promoted and give praise where praise is due. Watchdog journalism is extremely important to me.”

The Cullman Times publisher Katherine Miller shares Mayer’s enthusiasm.

“Tom’s commitment to journalism and community is exceptional, and he’s already demonstrated that throughout his career,” Miller said. “Now, he can bring that passion to the heart of our communities.”

Mayer, who moved to the area with wife, Sonja, received a warm reception.

“We’ve run into so many people who’ve been helpful in so many ways we’d never expected, just from store clerks to new friends we’ve made at our church,” he said. “It’s great to be in North Alabama.”

E-mail Mayer at tmayer@cullmantimes.com.