After 15 years at the helm of Discover Media publications, Virginia “Jinks” Babey is retiring from the position.

“I really just felt like I wanted to focus on my children now, and their families,” Babey said. “I would like to have more free time with my family.”

Babey began Discover Media in 1995 with Discover Suffolk, an annual publication that features the most prominent people, businesses and things to do in Suffolk. In 2005, she expanded the Discover brand into neighboring cities, eventually publishing a Discover magazine annually in Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, as well as Suffolk.

“I loved doing those magazines,” Babey said. “But it was very time-consuming.”

In 2005, Babey took on partners Keith and Linda Andrus, and they helped her grow the publications to the new cities. Together, the team produces all of the content for each of the magazines.

“It’s not a canned type of publication,” Babey said. “It’s all original. It’s quite a large job.”

Despite her love of the job, she now is retiring to focus more on her family, her volunteer work at the Western Tidewater Free Clinic, her church and her Bible study.

“I don’t want to miss my grandchildren, and my Bible study is specifically very important to me,” Babey said.

The chief spot at Discover Media now will be filled by the Andruses, Babey said.

“They’ve done a fabulous job working with me since the beginning in 2005, and are fully capable of proceeding,” she said. “I don’t think you’ll even see a blip on the radar. I’m sure things will continue on just exactly as they have been in the past.”

Babey’s retirement was announced in an email last week addressed to members of the Discover Media magazine family.

“As we move into a new chapter of the Discover Media story, we renew our pledge to provide you with the most effective use of media,” Linda Andrus wrote. “We look forward to continued growth and many years of service and prosperity to you and our communities.”