Cordell native Brett Wesner, president of Wesner Publications in Cordell, was recently elected chair of the National Newspaper Association during the association’s 134th annual meeting. He had been treasurer.
Wesner publishes 15 newspapers in Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. He is the publisher of the Cordell Beacon.
A native Oklahoman, Wesner served as press secretary to the chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee before starting his company in 1988.
“As we enter this exciting new period, when the NNA Foundation will take over many of the wonderful programs NNA itself has normally managed, our board will be laser-focused on government affairs,” Wesner said. “As the only newspaper group representing community journalism with a full-time public affairs staff in Washington, our responsibilities have never been greater, but with the talent and energy of this new board of directors, I know we’re up to the challenge. Winning in Congress is not a guarantee, but you can’t win if you’re not heard. I can assure the members of this association we will be heard.”
Wesner succeeds Matt Adelman, publisher of the Douglas (Wyoming) Budget, who became immediate past president and will serve on the ex-officio board, as well as lead the National Newspaper Association Foundation as president.
Wesner’s love of newspapers goes back decades.
“I grew up reading the Cordell Beacon when it was run by Ed and Maxine Burchfiel, so I was raised knowing what a good weekly newspaper should be. I became the publisher of my college newspaper, I think, because I felt as though I knew how it should look. Of course, there was a long learning curve, but ever since that time, I’ve had ‘ink in my blood’.”
Other appointments announced: John Galer, publisher of The Journal-News in Hillsboro, Illinois, was elected vice chair; and Jeff Mayo, publisher/ president of Cookson Hills Publishers in Sallisaw, was named treasurer.
The National Newspaper Association represents 1,600-plus community newspapers across the United States.