To folks outside of the Cherokee Scout, and even to most associates inside the office, business went on like usual over the last week. But for those of us in senior leadership positions within Community Newspapers Inc., there was a notable passing of the proverbial torch.
Dink NeSmith and Tom Wood, the sole owners of CNI, stepped down from their roles Thursday as president and chairman, respectively. Considering how many years they had been on the job and the passion they put into it, it’s an unsurprising and well-earned decision. However, part of me hoped they would stay on forever as two of the last links to the old-school community journalism I know and love.
Dink began his career in advertising sales at his hometown newspaper in Jesup, Ga., before eventually buying it and then other newspapers, forming valuable partnerships as he went along. When he and Dink became partners with just a handshake agreement, Tom owned his own weekly newspaper in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., and before that published a little daily called the Atlanta Journal & Constitution.
The combined talents they brought together helped CNI flourish across the Southeast, while also keeping the company in private hands. Those of us who have worked with larger public companies much prefer the way Dink and Tom operate, as we genuinely feel like a family. I spent 16 years working with The New York Times Co., and there’s a significant difference in how it does business.
For most of the last 18 years, I have reported directly to Dink. He always refers to the Scout as the “heart of the watermelon,” for this newspaper was the first one purchased by N.J. Babb in forming what became CNI back in 1967. He never attempted to edit the newspaper from afar. He has high standards but never talks down to you. And he’s always there with an encouraging word, a piece of advice or a story told with a Southern flavor that somehow gets his point across even better.
In short, while no one’s perfect, I couldn’t have asked for a better boss. He and Tom are the kind of people you hate to disappoint because you admire and respect them so much. I strongly believe in what CNI represents, and because of that have had no desire to work anywhere else.
The good news is the two people they tapped to replace them have similar characteristics. My new boss is the new president – Dink’s oldest son, Alan NeSmith, publisher of The Northeast Georgian in Cornelia. That twice-weekly newspaper might sound familiar because it’s where former Scout editor Matthew Osborne plies his trade today.
I have worked alongside Alan for several years, and he’s a newspaper guy through and through. You don’t have to worry about the news being treated like a second-class citizen under his leadership, and he will continue to encourage us to serve our communities in a number of different ways. I also worked with Dink’s youngest son, Eric, for a few years, and from that experience I’m personally happy there’s still a NeSmith on the masthead.
The new company chairman is Mark Major, who joined the home office as chief financial officer in 2003, the same year I returned to CNI. He has always been very easy to work and makes sure the business side of our operation ensures we can report the news without fear or favor. (The stories I could tell about that, but you’ll have to wait for my retirement to hear any details.)
Our company’s mission statement is published every week on page 4A as a reminder of what we’re all about. It’s good to know that despite these changes, that mission remains unchanged. The method of delivery will likely evolve from primarily in print to online, but your local newspaper will continue to let you know what’s going on in your community so you, too, can help make it an even better place to live and work.