Granite Publications CEO forms new management company

Granite Publications is announcing changes.
Granite CEO Brandi Chionsini is leaving the group and has formed a new management company. Five newspapers will be part of Fenice Community Media Group – four weeklies, Madisonville Meteor, The Sealy News, Fort Stockton Pioneer and The Hill Country News – and one semi-weekly, the Gonzales Inquirer.
Granite Founder Jim Chionsini is stepping back into the operations and he, along with Controller Daniel Philhower, will manage the Granite group.
“I am excited to be branching out on my own after nearly 19 years with Granite,” Ms. Chionsini said. “I am thankful to my father, Jim, for his guidance and leadership all these years and know that with this knowledge and my own experience, we will be able to make this new venture a success.”
“I’m very proud of Brandi for taking this step. I remember when I made the same decision in 1978 to leave the safety of the Walls organization and go it alone. The first few years were terribly scary for her mother and me but in the end sinking or swimming on my own was the right decision.  Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone but this has been Brandi’s desire for a long time. Everyone is behind her decision 100 percent,” Chionsini said.  
“It has been an honor to serve alongside both Brandi and Jim and look forward to continue to do so under this new structure. I see great things for both groups and am excited for what the future will bring,” Philhower said.
Ms. Chionsini is a 1995 graduate of Texas A&M University with a bachelor of science degree in journalism with an emphasis in marketing. She wrote her first story for the Center Light & Champion when she was 8 and immediately knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. 
She was named Granite’s CEO in April 2014. Prior to that, Ms. Chionsini spent 13 years with Granite as operations support coordinator, vice president and executive vice president. She also had been publisher at The Sealy News for two years, and had stints at The Boerne Star, The Alvin Sun-Advertiser, The Bartlett (Tenn.) Express and Cordova (Tenn.) Beacon and Bryan Eagle.
Fenice Community Media is based in Cedar Park.