PORT ANGELES — Terry Ward took over as the new publisher of the Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum on Tuesday.
He succeeds John Brewer, who is retiring as publisher and editor Oct. 9 after almost 18 years at the PDN and five decades in journalism.
Since 2013, Brewer also has been in charge of two weekly newspapers on the North Olympic Peninsula, the Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum; the monthly Olympic Homes-Land real estate magazine; and those publications’ active websites.
Ward, 43, will work with Brewer during the next month as he takes over the publications and websites.
“I want to continue to put out a great community newspaper that the North Olympic Peninsula can be very proud of,” Ward said.
The PDN and the two weeklies are owned by Sound Publishing Inc., the largest publisher of community newspapers in the state.
Everett-based Sound Publishing is one of several locally operated divisions of Black Press Group Ltd. of Surrey, B.C., and Victoria, which have newspapers and websites in western Canada as well as from Hawaii to Ohio in the U.S.
Ward’s plans include redesigning the PDN’s website and expanding its online presence, besides trying “to live up to the expectations that have been set.”
The community news that readers expect from the PDN must appear “in a format that people want to consume in this day and age when people access news on their smartphones rather than their desktop computers,” he said.
He is looking forward to redesigning the PDN website, he said, and more mobile reporting.
The PDN’s website, www.peninsuladailynews.com, is the dominant news and information website for the Peninsula, according to statistics from Omniture, Quantcast and Google Analytics, which measure Web traffic.
The website had more than 1.2 million page views in August.
Ward may be as happy as his 7-year-old son to arrive here.
Dawson Ward, who’ll enter first grade when his family settles down, wants to be a marine biologist, and he didn’t find much firsthand inspiration back home in northeastern Indiana.
That’s the region the elder Ward left to join the PDN as its new publisher.
With his wife, Quinn, and two other children — Violet, 3, and Eleanor, 1 — Ward wants to take to salt water in a kayak and to the trails in the Olympic Mountains.
They’ll be accompanied by Memphis, a female redbone coonhound.
Ward arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Sequim on Monday via Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rainier.
He’s no stranger to travel. Hard travel.
Ward grew up as a migrant worker, picking fruits and vegetables across the western United States with his mother, older brother and two older sisters.
“We traveled the country a lot,” Ward said. “We spent lots of time in Washington and Idaho. We were making ends meet.”
The family’s wanderings eventually led to Oklahoma, where Ward began his newspaper career as a reporter while still in a high school.
That was at the Chickasha — pronounced “Chickashay,” population 13,374 — Daily Express, where publisher Charles Drew became his mentor, moving Ward into various positions that led to advertising director, general manager and group publisher.
Later, Ward ran sales and digital operations at GateHouse Media’s Community Newspaper Division and served as publisher at Paxton Media Group before joining KPC Media Group in Kendallville, Ind., north of Fort Wayne, in 2012.
There, he was vice president of sales, digital and marketing before he was promoted to chief operating officer and later CEO.
He said he’d rather be on the Peninsula.
“It’s something you always want: someone who wants to be here,” said Sound Publishing President Gloria Fletcher, who had met Ward when both worked at GateHouse.
A combined reception for Ward and Brewer, 67, is scheduled for next week.
The public can meet Ward — and say goodbye to Brewer — between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. next Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the Elks Naval Lodge, 131 E. First St., Port Angeles.
“The Olympic Peninsula newspapers have certainly grown under John’s tutelage and leadership but, probably more importantly, the Olympic Peninsula newspapers continue to be very engaged and respected in the communities they serve,” Fletcher said.
“John is a consummate journalist, and his passion for news will be missed,” she said.
“He has successfully mentored many, many reporters over the years.”
As for Ward, she said: “He is a quiet, energetic and thought-provoking leader who has a very good understanding of the news business in both print and digital.
“I feel fortunate he wanted to make the move to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. He will be a valuable asset to the community.”
Ward said he plans to involve himself deeply in community concerns, especially programs that combat hunger and homelessness.
A former member of Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, he also served on the boards of directors of Boys & Girls Clubs where he lived.
“Food issues play a big part of what I like to be involved in,” he said.
“I try to get involved in as many volunteer capacities as make sense. Usually, I try to get involved in no more than three or four at a time.”
Ward spoke frankly about what he called his “very poverty-stricken” youth.
“It’s not where you came from that makes a difference; it’s your attitude,” he said.
“As a child living in pretty extreme poverty, we found that you can always move yourself forward if you just look ahead.
“The problem is that many people get stuck in a quagmire of their circumstances and cannot see their way out.
“My mother [Jean Ward] did a fantastic job of helping us see there was a future even if at times, it seemed pretty bleak.”
His recreation will be on the shores and in the forests he sees around him, he said.
“We like the outdoors, so we’ll probably be looking for some trails to hike and be active.”
With three small children and a coonhound, how he’ll spend his time off probably won’t pose a problem, Ward said.
“Mostly at this stage, it will be chasing whatever they’re interested in,” he said.
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Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074, or at jcasey@peninsuladailynews.com.
