In August 2022 I was appointed the publisher of a group of three community newspapers, collectively known in Forum Communications Co. as the "Lakes Group." I hadn't been a full-time publisher in a number of years, but I saw an opportunity to return to working in the community newspaper space. And while the gig only lasted 10 months before an eventual company restructuring, it was one of the most rewarding professional stints I've ever had. Hats off the the staffs at the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal for welcoming this old newspaper hack for a great run!
Dec. 6, 2022
By Devlyn Brooks
Our annual Women 360° magazine will be inserted in this week’s Saturday Detroit Lakes Tribune.
The magazine is “a chance to highlight these women and show appreciation for what they do,” as our Managing Editor Tris Andersen so eloquently wrote in an editor’s note to the publication.
Each year we ask the community for its nominations, and in addition, we do a little homework ourselves. The result is a list of women from which we choose who will be included in that year’s publication. It is a exciting process that gives us a glimpse of just how many talented women contribute to the business, education, artistic and volunteer fields in our community.
As you can imagine, we simply can’t feature all of the women who deserve to be highlighted in one year. So, we do our best to take a cross section of women who represent many different facets of our community. This year we focused on six.
They include Carrie Johnston, president of the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce; Gretchen Hunter, owner of four Detroit Lakes restaurants; Dawn Livdahl, general manager of the Washington Square Mall; Helen Foltz, former owner of Papa Murphy’s; Breanna Adams, director of clinic operations at Sanford Health; and Kim Bettcher, marketing and membership director for the Detroit Lakes Community and Cultural Center.
Each of these women has an intriguing story, and our newsroom team did a marvelous job of drawing out the character of each of these community movers and shakers. I can’t wait for this edition to hit the streets!
I want to thank each of the women for allowing us into their lives and for letting us tell their stories! This wonderful magazine wouldn’t be the same without the access to these women’s lives. We are grateful to them for allowing us to intrude for just a little while to capture the story! Thank you!
Thank you also to the many supportive local businesses who advertised in this special magazine. We could not publish this community treasure without your continued support. Thank you for making it possible for us to tell these stories! … And I would ask that if you also appreciated this magazine as a reader, please let the advertisers know you appreciated their support too!
Finally, I want to thank our talented staff for the work they invested into producing this magazine. Our sales team worked tirelessly to ensure that our advertisers had an ad they would be proud of, and our newsroom took pride in being entrusted to tell these women’s stories. My hats off to you team! You set a high standard for excellence again!
If, after reading this year’s magazine, you think of other women worthy of a nomination to be included next year, please do not hesitate to reach out to me! My contact information is below.
We hope you enjoy this year’s Women 360° magazine as much as we do!
Devlyn Brooks is the publisher of the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Perham Focus and Wadena Pioneer Journal, and their associated websites. He can be reached at dbrooks@dlnewspapers.com or at 218-844-1451.
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