Pleasanton Express Business of the Year

Local Matters



 

The Pleasanton Express won Business of the Year at the 69th Annual Awards Gala hosted by the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce. While the award was for 2019, winning this honor in 2020 made this year feel a lot better.

For several years, people asked how we, as a newspaper, would survive the digital world. For many years, I simply did not know because there were so many unknowns. The truth now is clear; we will not just survive, we will thrive. Why? Because no news organization is more committed and cares more deeply about the community it covers than the local newspaper. If the Pleasanton Express does not cover this county, its news will not be told. The Pleasanton Express has been continuously telling the stories of Atascosa County since 1909– 111 years! We are here to stay and plan to continue to tell Atascosa County stories in print, digital and on social media for many years to come.

Everyone knows news travels fast in a small town; bad news travels even faster. Our job is to tell all the news factually and not just from news releases or statements from the top-down (government and city leaders), but from in-person interviews and reporting done with the whole community’s interest taken into consideration.

Community newspapers have the power to bring about great good, but only if they are trusted. We work daily to keep the trust of this community. We are here to promote the things that are beneficial to the community and to try to stop that which is not. We are loved one week and sometimes not the next. To be loved sure feels good, but to be respected feels a whole lot better. I have said before that I do not mind complaints. I take them as compliments that someone cares enough to let us know how we can do better.

We are not simply a weekly newspaper. Our job is 24/7 news gathering of all the information that deserves to be told in print, digital and via social media to the 50,000 people in Atascosa County. The beauty of a family-owned newspaper is that no corporation tells us what we can and cannot report. We stand by everything we print on paper and digitally.

We are staffed by real journalists reporting real news. Our team’s dedication and talent never cease to amaze me. Their interest in this community is vast and rich. Their knowledge of this county, its history and its stories, go deep. Our team includes Rebecca Pesqueda, News Editor; Lisa Luna, Living Editor; Sam Fowler, Sports Editor; Loni Just, Ag Editor/Classified Ad Manager; Aaron Davidson, Graphic Designer; Melissa Theis, Proofreader/ Writer/Super Star Office Organizer; Emily Mann, Staff Reporter/ Social Media Manager; Maggie Rodriquez, Sports Columnist; Paul Michael Jones, Columnist; Glenda Thomson, Columnist; Larry Esquivel, Distribution Manager and David Chapa, Distribution. I serve as Publisher and Managing Editor.

We love when we hear from our readers how much they enjoyed a story or how an advertisement brought them more business or how an article helped a non-profit fill up an event. We appreciate the businesses who advertise with us. Without their support this newspaper would not exist. We thank those that were a part of nominating and approving the Pleasanton Express to be business of the year. We will continue to give back to this community and cover your stories with honesty, fairness and balance. If you have a story, email us at news@pleasantonexpress.com. If you need to reach us please call 830-569-6130.

NOEL WILKERSON HOLMES is the Publisher and Managing Editor of the Pleasanton Express. You may reach her at nwilkersonholmes@pleasantonexpress.com.

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