Veteran journalist R.E. “Res” Spears III, a staff writer for The Tidewater News since 2006, has been promoted to managing editor of the Suffolk News-Herald.

“Res has earned this opportunity to lead the newsroom of our affiliate newspaper in Suffolk,” said Steve Stewart, publisher of The Tidewater News. “We will miss his reporting talents, but this a good move for Res. The Suffolk newspaper will benefit from his considerable experience and skill-set. We wish him well.”

Spears, of Portsmouth, has worked in community newspapers throughout southeastern and central Virginia since 1986, when he began his journalism career at The Tidewater News.

He left newspapers in 1997 to join his family’s construction company, Shirley Construction Corp., which took honors as the Hampton Roads Small Business of the Year in 2002.

Spears came back to journalism in 2006, returning to the newspaper where he started his career, serving at various times as a staff writer/photographer and as interim editor. During his most recent tenure in Franklin, he won both writing and photography awards in the Virginia Press Association’s annual news and photography contests.

“I have enjoyed this term at The Tidewater News,” Spears said Tuesday. “I always felt that I was led back here for some reason. It has become clear to me that at least part of that reason was so that I could meet the wonderful people I have worked with during the past two years.”