WVTM 13 has named Kerri Sutton news director. She succeeds Baylor Long, who recently returned to Pennsylvania to serve as news director at WTAE-TV, the Hearst Television station in Pittsburgh.“Kerri brings extensive experience in leading newsrooms for more than a decade,” said WVTM 13 President and General Manager Susana Schuler. “This, combined with her consultancy supporting journalists and news leaders, uniquely qualifies her to lead WVTM 13’s outstanding team dedicated to serving our community with relevant, impactful, fact-based journalism and unparalleled weather coverage on all platforms. We are thrilled to welcome her back to Alabama, where her passion for journalism first took shape at the University of Alabama.”Sutton recently served as news director at WFOR-TV and WBFS-TV in Miami and was responsible for launching WFOR-TV’s 24/7 streaming channel CBS News Miami, in addition to adding local news at WBFS-TV. Prior to her time in South Florida, Kerri was a senior consultant with Magid and served as vice president of news for WTTV-TV and WXIN-TV in Indianapolis. Sutton’s notable achievements include recognition as News Director of the Year in 2015 for seamlessly transitioning WTTV’s affiliation from CW to CBS in just 144 days and receiving an Edward R. Murrow Award at WXIN-TV for Overall Excellence among large station markets in the Illinois-Michigan-Ohio-Indiana region.“Alabama holds a cherished place in my heart, and I am excited to return here to join the talented team at WVTM 13 and to contribute to the prestigious legacy of journalism excellence that Hearst holds,” said Sutton. “I can’t wait to collaborate with the employees at WVTM to deliver impactful news stories that not only enrich but also support the betterment of our community.”Sutton received her bachelor’s degree in broadcast news and speech communication from the University of Alabama. Her first day will be April 1st.