After 27 years as a bureau chief for Savannah television station WTOC, Dal Cannady is stepping away from the news industry.

According to a release from WTOC, Cannady will continue working in Statesboro as communications director for the Bulloch County Board of Commissioners. His last day at WTOC will be Friday, Sept. 1, according to the release.

"There’s never a perfect time to step away from something that has become a part of your life, but this is the closest it’s going to be,” Cannady said. “WTOC will always feel like home. Co-workers and viewers will always be like family. The next few weeks are going to be bittersweet and hopefully I can adequately express how much these decades have meant.”

Cannady’s colleagues at WTOC expressed their appreciation for his many years on the job.

“Dal is an institution in this TV market, and we have been beyond lucky to have him as a member of the WTOC family for so many years,” said WTOC General Manager Marsha Fogarty. “His sincerity and genuine delivery have attracted viewers for over two decades, and he will be sorely missed.”

A Georgia Southern graduate, Cannady has lived in Statesboro since 1985.

“Dal is a real example of how making connections and always being fair in his storytelling can pay off,” said WTOC News Director, Bari Soash. “He knows things before everyone else. He always knows who to call. He knows how to ask the tough questions respectfully and folks in his communities will answer them.”