Moving on

After two and a half interesting and rewarding years as publisher and board chair of The Charlotte News, I will be stepping down at the conclusion of our January board meeting. I will stay on as a board member at least through next year. The search for the organization’s next publisher is underway, led by board member Julia Russell.

Serving as publisher and board chair of The Charlotte News has been an honor and I am proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the past two and a half years. I’m reminded of that every two weeks when the newspaper arrives in our mailbox and every time I log on to our website. It feels good to know that I’ve played a part in keeping Charlotters in touch with the life of the town by way of our nonprofit community newspaper.

I am looking forward to having more time available to enjoy retirement — spending time with our four grandkids, tending to the two acres that Colleen and I have called home since 1994, taking on some writing projects and traveling.

Over the years, friends and colleagues have thanked me for my work at The Charlotte News. It feels good to receive that recognition, of course, but I want to make the point — again — that producing The Charlotte News is, and always has been, a community endeavor.

I am happy to have been a member of this town’s robust community of volunteers, the dozens of Charlotters who serve as volunteers on town boards, commissions and committees — and at Charlotte Central School, at our churches, at fire and rescue, the senior center and the library, to name a few.

I see interesting opportunities ahead for the next publisher.

By blending the results from our readers survey with the goals in our strategic plan and adding some entrepreneurial flair, the publisher will lead the way in making The Charlotte News an even more valuable source of news and information. In some ways, it feels as though we’re just getting started — even though the paper’s been around for 65 years!

In looking to the future — forgive me for stating the obvious — your financial support is essential for the newspaper to remain in good health. Make your tax-deductible gift, on our website or send your check to P.O. Box 251, Charlotte VT 05445. Thank you.

We’ve all read stories about “news deserts” and the terrible ways in which communities are affected by the loss of local news. We don’t live in a news desert; we are served and nourished by a strong local, nonprofit community newspaper. I’m immensely thankful for our good fortune, and for your support, both for me personally, and for The Charlotte News.

If you’re interested in learning more about the publisher’s role and responsibilities, please contact Julia Russell or 802-324-3380. She would love to talk with you.