Who We Are

My name is Adrienne Wright and I am the editor and publisher of The Vandalia Vanguard.

I am originally from the Great Lakes Bay Region of Michigan, where I attended school and later taught English and Communication courses at the college-level for over a decade. I served as an editor for literary publications throughout college and post-graduate studies, working with some really talented publishers and writers.

I also have a background in nonprofit financial and program development. For almost two decades, I ran my own consulting business to support the needs of organizations across the Midwest. I made many friends and still enjoy great working relationships with many boards, program directors, and fellow consultants.

My husband and I moved back to Fayette County in 2018 to be closer to his family. That’s when I started the Vandalia Vanguard as a social media project to get to know my new community. We published stories and spotlights of community events, churches, and nonprofits. I loved every moment of getting to know the people, organizations, and businesses in our town!

For six years, the Vandalia Vanguard held a strong presence on Facebook, but in 2024, I recognized the opportunity to do more. Fueled by my belief that community news should never be locked behind a gate of subscription fees, I decided to launch vandaliavanguard.com as a free, local news source and community calendar.

We will never charge the residents of Vandalia for any part of our site. Sponsorships from local businesses and organizations are all used to to make this possible indefinitely!