By TOM FINK
March 29, 2008 03:11 pm
—
When Houston native Dennis Warren got word the Claremore Daily Progress was in need of a new publisher, he was interested.
When he received the phone call asking him if he wanted the job, Warren said he stood up and said three words, “I will go.”
“I’m very happy to be here. Claremore is an outstanding community. One that’s growing, and I expect the Progress to grow right along with it, and along with Rogers County,” Warren said. “Growing in readership and in its addressing the needs and wants of those readers.”
The announcement of Warren as publisher, brings a second new face in as many years to the publisher’s seat at the Daily Progress.
Sean Evans succeeded longtime publisher, Dave Story, to the position in December 2006. Evans was promoted in January this year to vice-president of Sales and Marketing for parent company CNHI’s Great Plains Division.
Evans has served as interim
publisher since his promotion, pending Warren’s arrival. Warren comes to Claremore from the Enid News
& Eagle, where he was the
advertising manager.
Evans, who lives in Verdigris, said the Daily Progress will be his “home office” as he travels around the state working with CNHI’s 14 newspaper.
Keith Ponder, vice president, Great Plains Division manager, CNHI, said, “While Sean was at the Progress for only a short time he has had a deep and long-lasting impact, His expanded leadership role within our division and within our company is a testament to his talent and work ethic.
“He will have a statewide impact for good, not just for our newspapers but all the communities our newspapers serve,” Ponder said.
Although Warren met with Progress staff last week, his official presentation as publisher coincided with Saturday night’s annual Progress Edition reception at the Will Rogers Memorial where native son Clem McSpadden was honored by the Progress with a Lifetime Contribution Award.
“Dennis has had a distinguished career in our company and has earned the opportunity to lead this outstanding newspaper,” Ponder said. “He has done great work in Enid, both in the newspaper and community, and I’m confident he’ll make many contributions to the Progress, Claremore and Rogers County.”
Born in Houston, Texas, Warren grew up in the small town of Hull, Texas, graduating from high school at Hull-Daisetta High School.
After high school, he earned his bachelor degree in business administration in marketing from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, then went to work at Mingle Chrysler Plymouth Dodge.
“I haven’t done anything I’m not proud of, but, yes, I have been a used car salesman,” he said, smiling. Used, and new cars, he quickly adds. Eventually he became a finance officer for Mingle during his 11 years there.
Following his tenure with Mingle, Warren worked with Mutual of Omaha for three and a half years — also in sales — before entering the newspaper business in 1994 at the Port Arthur News in Port Arthur, Texas.
“I’d always had a passion for advertising and marketing, and getting into the newspaper business was a means for me to pursue that passion,” he said. “I worked there two years as ‘new business guy’ then as the retail ad manager and eventually classified manager — I basically did everything in the ad department at one time or another, until 1999 when I was transferred to The Huntsville Item in Huntsville, Texas.”
At Huntsville, Warren worked as advertising manager until another transfer made him advertising manager at the Enid News & Eagle, his first Oklahoma assignment. He was there five and a half years.
“My wife and I are excited to soon be calling Claremore our hometown,” he said. “We’ve always placed a high priority on the quality of a community where we live, and Claremore certainly has a high quality of life. And, it’s close to a major metropolitan area and an interstate, both of which are important to us in where we want to raise our family.”
Warren said his wife and three daughters will join him in the summer, following the sale of their home in Enid and the end of the school year.
“The girls are looking forward to visiting the bowling alley. They’re very competitive when it comes to bowling,” Warren said. Lisa, who’s a support manager at Wal-Mart in Enid, is planning a transfer to the area later in the summer.
“Personally, I can’t wait to get back into an old hobby of main sailing , since there are some good lakes in the area. I can’t wait to take a dingy or a Laser out on them,” he said.
So, as Warren gets to know his way around Claremore, he plans to make the Progress the best possible newspaper it can be.
“One thing about me is I’m not just going to be ‘the publisher’, I’m also a reader of the paper, and for me, we want the experience of reading our paper to be the most informative, entertaining it can be,” he said. “That’s what you would want as a reader and that’s what I’m wanting to provide as a publisher.”
"The Progress has always enjoyed a rich history of leadership and is a highly respected newspaper within Oklahoma and our company,” Ponder said. “Following people like Dave Story and Sean Evans mean big shoes to fill, but Dennis is well prepared for the role."
Dennis and wife, Lisa Warren have been married for 13 years. The couple has three daughters, Joanie, 12, Rena, 9, and Sarah, 5.
Once settled, the family plans to attend St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Claremore.
Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.
Photos
Dennis Warren