WFMJ will have a new News Director in 2024.

Sheila Miller has been named as the head of the station's news department. Miller brings to the table strong leadership, editorial judgment, compassion, adaptability, and knowledge of the Valley.

A lifetime Valley resident, she grew up on Youngstown's West Side and received an undergraduate degree from Walsh College and a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Ohio University.

Miller has worked in the news department for WFMJ for nearly 35 years, starting her career in 1989 at WFMJ 1390 AM radio as a reporter. Miller moved to television, serving as a producer and working the assignment desk at 21 News.  She has been the station’s executive producer for more than 26 years and was later named assistant news director.

Miller replaces longtime 21 News Director Mona Alexander, who recently announced her retirement beginning at the end of the year.

"I am extremely honored to be named News Director.  I know I have big shoes to fill, but I take confidence in the fact that I worked with Mona Alexander for more than 20 years and learned a lot from her professionalism.  We have an amazing foundation in the newsroom, and I will continue to build on that. We will continue to provide the top-notch journalism that has made us number 1 for years," Miller said.

"This community has always been my home, and I take great pride in providing a vital service to the community," she added.

Miller has received multiple Associated Press awards in her career, including the AP’s Producer of the Year award in 2020.

WFMJ General Manager Jack Grdic announced Miller's promotion to the staff on Monday.

Grdic also announced two other changes to the newsroom's management structure.

J. Breen Mitchell has been promoted to Assistant News Director in addition to his role as Managing Editor of News Content. Mitchell has worked for WFMJ since 2009 and was named Managing Editor in 2019.

Also receiving a promotion was Robert McFerren, who was named Senior Digital Content Manager and has been with WFMJ since 2019. McFerren had previously worked as a newsroom manager with the Youngstown Vindicator for 30 years.

Miller, Mitchell and McFerren have a combined 80 years of local news experience across multiple platforms and job responsibilities over the years and are responsible for overseeing more than 30 hours of local news production weekly between 21 News 5pm, 21 News 6pm, 21 News 11pm, 21 News Midday, WFMJ Today, WFMJ Weekend Today and the 21 News 6 and 11 pm weekend broadcasts.

Miller, Mitchell and McFerren also work on WFMJ's Watchdog brand journalism and '101 West,' a quarterly news program that focuses on long-form reporting on local news topics.