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It is a pleasure to be here. It sounds like a cliché, but I truly mean it. It’s common to hear how wonderful the town of Hammonton is…mostly from the locals, but they’re right, it is wonderful. As the newly appointed publisher, I feel immensely grateful for the incredible support, camaraderie and opportunities that this vibrant community has offered me. Today, I want to celebrate the greatness of this community and share the profound happiness I’ve experienced in joining its ranks.
I’m looking at being a part of this community from a different perspective. As a south Jerseyian for the past 25 years I’ve visited Hammonton for dining, shopping, festivals, etc. The folks I’ve met in the last six days since becoming publisher of The Hammonton Gazette have been terrific and welcoming. I’ve always known they were terrific and welcoming, but now I’m looking at it from being a part of the community. But after six days, how can I claim I’m part of the community? That’s my point, you all are so welcoming and I appreciate it. It’s heartwarming to discover a thriving community that welcomes newcomers with open arms.
Speaking of greatness, the staff here at The Gazette have been unbelievable. Not only have they been welcoming, they’ve dealt with dramatic change professionally and with a “can-do” attitude. Our recently-promoted editor, Mohammed Fuad just put out his first newspaper in his new role after being in it for less than a week. Dan Russoman is our sports editor and performed duties above and beyond that of a sports editor last week. Our business office manager and copy editor, Jaime Wuillermin stepped up and performed new duties she’d never been trained on. And last, but certainly not least is the superb work of MarySusan Hoffman. MarySusan was one of many travelers on the east coast who had a flight delayed several days on her way home from Florida. Without her help remotely, I’m not sure you would have been reading a paper last week. This is a group of talented, dedicated and loyal folks and I’m extremely proud to be a part of the team.
The paper you’ve learned to love and trust over the years did not happen overnight. For 26 years, Gabe Donio launched and nurtured this great community newspaper. He and his wife, Gina Rullo Donio, worked tirelessly to serve the community with a product that helps to bond this great town. My hat’s off to them and I wish them all the best in the future.
As a seasoned veteran of the newspaper and media industry, I’ve been fortunate to connect with talented staffs, explore exciting businesses and venture into new markets. Prior to The Press of Atlantic City being sold in 2013, I served as the publisher there for 12 years. I began my media adventure in college, and managed my career through the many changes since the late 80’s. My newspaper journey has been rewarding, exciting, fun and full of change. Some of which I hope to bring to The Gazette. As far as change goes, we want to hear from our readers, advertisers and business partners. We’d like to hear the good, bad and ugly. What do you like? What would you like to see improved? What changes can we help foster throughout the community? After all, a great newspaper should be the heart and soul of the neighbors it serves. Send your suggestions and thoughts to me at kdawn@hammontongazette.com.
In this age of digitalization and instant gratification, it’s easy to overlook the importance of good, local journalism. We plan to bring you unbiased, fair and accurate information for which our constituents can be proud. We plan to deliver our core news product to our passionate readers, but also diversify our delivery methods to expand our audiences and bring the best possible results to our advertisers. Through all this you’ll see change. Some of which you’ll like and some you may not. I am filled with gratitude and excitement for the journey ahead, knowing that I am surrounded by such a remarkable community of passionate individuals.
Keith Dawn is the publisher for The Hammonton Gazette.
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