Tim Griggs began his career as a sports reporter for the campus newspaper and later for the Associated Press and The Washington Post. But it was the opportunity to lead his campus newspaper – the Collegiate Times at Virginia Tech – as its editor-in-chief where he cut his teeth. In those four years, Griggs and his team reinvented the organization: from twice-weekly to daily, afternoon to morning delivery, black and white to color. They created its first Web site, fended off two major lawsuits and fought (and won) a few of their own. They even created their own independent media company and built a sustainable business that, to this day, supports five other student media organizations.

That education continued in the next chapter of Griggs’ career, a 10-year stint as an editor in various forms at the Star-News, a mid-size daily in coastal North Carolina. His time there solidified his passion for driving organizational change, innovating across platforms and helping a community solve problems through engaging journalism. Griggs was fortunate enough to launch several successful products, ranging from lifestyle magazines and entertainment guides to a user-generated community blog network and a local data portal. He led investigative reporting projects that brought about real change. And he lived day-in and day-out the principles he believes in so strongly: Giving voice to the voiceless, holding the powerful accountable.

In his current role in strategic planning, Griggs is responsible for a wide-range of projects that run the gamut from cost-cutting to evaluating new business models. Most require challenging the organization to think outside the box or reinvent itself for long-term sustainability.