When I first joined CatchMark Technologies, I never could have imagined where the journey would lead.
Over the years, CatchMark Community became so much more than a job. It became an opportunity to build relationships with people across the White Lake area, to earn their trust, and to help tell the stories that make this community such a special place to call home.
I’ve had the privilege of sharing stories that celebrated accomplishments, explained important decisions, introduced remarkable people, and highlighted the moments that make our communities unique. Some stories took hours of research. Others started with a simple conversation at a local event. Every one of them mattered because every one of them belonged to this community.
As many of you know, I’ve accepted a new opportunity, which means my time with CatchMark Technologies and CatchMark Community is coming to an end.
That sentence is much easier to write than it is to accept.
When I look back on my time here, I won’t think first about the number of articles I wrote or the meetings I covered. I’ll think about the people.
Through CatchMark Community, I had the opportunity to get to know business owners who poured their hearts into serving others, volunteers who quietly made our community stronger, educators who inspired the next generation, public servants who cared deeply about the future of our towns, students chasing their dreams, and so many residents whose stories deserved to be shared. What often started as an interview became a conversation, and many of those conversations became lasting relationships.
Over time, familiar faces became just that, familiar. I’d walk into a meeting, festival, fundraiser, ribbon cutting, or local business and be greeted by people I’d met through previous stories. Many of you shared story ideas, introduced me to someone I should meet, or simply stopped to ask how I was doing. Those moments reminded me that CatchMark Community was about so much more than publishing articles. It was about connecting people, celebrating our communities, and preserving the stories that might otherwise go untold.
I’m also incredibly thankful for my coworkers at CatchMark Technologies. Behind every article, social media post, website update, and video was a team of talented people who genuinely cared about serving our clients and our communities. Thank you for your encouragement, collaboration, friendship, and unwavering support. Working alongside you challenged me to grow professionally and personally, and I’m grateful for everything we accomplished together.
To everyone who welcomed me into your schools, businesses, organizations, board meetings, and community events, thank you for trusting me with your stories. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, share your ideas, and help me better understand what matters most to this community. I never took that trust for granted, and it has been one of the greatest privileges of my career.
To everyone who read an article, watched a video, followed CatchMark Community on social media, shared a story, or stopped me somewhere around town to talk about a recent piece, thank you. Your support, encouragement, and willingness to engage made this work incredibly rewarding. CatchMark Community existed because of this community, and it has been an honor to play a small part in telling its story.
One of the greatest gifts this role gave me was an even deeper appreciation for the place I already called home. Every interview, every meeting, every event, and every conversation reinforced what I already believed. The White Lake area is special because of its people. I’ll carry that with me long after this chapter ends.
While my byline may be disappearing, I won’t be. I’ll still be around the White Lake area, supporting local businesses, attending community events, cheering on our schools, and enjoying everything that makes this place home. I’ll simply be doing it from the other side of the notebook.
Finally, I want to thank my family.
Thank you for your endless love, encouragement, and understanding throughout this journey. Thank you for the evenings and weekends you shared with the community because my work required me to be somewhere else. Thank you for the missed dinners, the schedule changes, and the countless events you understood I needed to cover.
Thank you for celebrating the stories that went well, listening when the difficult ones weighed on me, and reminding me why this work mattered. Your patience, support, and belief in me made it possible for me to tell the stories of this community.
As this chapter comes to a close, I’m looking forward to spending more evenings and weekends making memories with you. Thank you for being my greatest source of strength and for always being there when I came home.
To the White Lake community, thank you for welcoming me, trusting me, and allowing me to tell your stories. It has truly been one of the greatest honors of my career.
CatchMark Community is more than a weekly read. It’s an ongoing conversation. Follow along on social media for daily stories, local highlights, videos, and moments from around the White Lake area.
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