AUGUSTA, Ga.— Michael A. Russell has been appointed to the newly created position of market manager for Wilmington, N.C., and Michael T. Parsons has been named national creative director for Fairway Outdoor Advertising, a division of Morris Communications Co. LLC. The announcements were made today by Mark Moyer, president of Fairway.

Russell, who most recently served Fairway as an account executive and sales manager in the Wilmington market area, has been with the company since 1983. As market manager, Russell will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the southern half of the Raleigh branch. Formerly, he worked for Lamar Dean Outdoor Advertising in Charlotte, N.C., and National 3M in Roanoke, Va.

"We are delighted to have Mike [Russell] in this new position. He has the extensive market knowledge and experience we needed to fill this niche," Moyer said.

Parsons has worked as an art director with Fairway since 1997. His new responsibilities will include coordinating Fairway's creative and marketing staffs in all markets to produce marketing projects and proposals to increase sales. Formerly, Parsons was creative director at Red Door Designs Inc., Augusta, and has been a part-time graphics instructor at the University of South Carolina at Aiken.

"Mike [Parsons] spent a number of years working with our previous national creative director, Dan O'Shea, and has developed tremendous creative and marketing skills," Moyer said. "He has been and will continue to be a strong asset to the home office in Augusta."

Fairway Outdoor Advertising, formerly Naegele Outdoor Advertising, was purchased by Morris Communications in 1985 and became a division under the Morris corporate banner. Headquartered in Augusta, Fairway has branches in North Carolina, South Carolina, Minnesota and California, serving customers in those states and Virginia.

Morris Communications is a privately held media company with diversified holdings that include newspaper and magazine publishing, outdoor advertising, radio broadcasting, book publishing and distribution, and online services. For more information, visit www.morris.com.