An Award-Winning Community Newspaper • Published Tuesday and Thursday Dave Bonner - Publisher
Esteemed judges: In the span of three and a half years as our outdoor editor/outdoor writer, Mark Davis has established himself as one of the leading voices in Wyoming in coverage of recreation and public land issues. He has earned the respect of agency heads and resource managers in the field and the following of the many individuals and organizations for whom the outdoors are precious to the Wyoming way of life. He understands the issues and the challenges of preserving Wyoming’s beautiful landscapes, its wildlife populations and the public lands, forests and waterways that sustain the very nature of the state. He is a hunter, fisherman, camper and explorer. He lives his subject, and he writes about it. Mark is an exceptional journalist. At 56, Mark is the senior member of our news staff, and his veteran presence lends stability to our news gathering operation. He brings three decades of newsroom experience to underscore his informed coverage and credibility. Mark came to the Powell Tribune in May of 2017 after 17 years at the Omaha World Herald and a previous combined 12 years with the Chicago Tribune Suburban Newspaper Group. Only a month ago, Mark Davis was granted exclusive access to conduct a one-on-one interview with William Perry Pendley, acting director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, who was in Cody, Wyoming, on a speaking engagement. This was not a news conference; Mark had sole access to Pendley, a President Trump appointee. Mark’s resulting story — in which Pendley effectively said a federal judge’s recent decision that he was serving without authority didn’t change anything at the agency — made national news. Earlier this year, the capers of David Christensen requiring National Park Service rescue from the bottom of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River also drew national attention. Many carried the rescue story, but Mark was the only one linking Christensen’s stunt with treasure hunting and the search for Fenn’s gold. Mark reached out to Christensen in Indiana, and the story of his exclusive interview appeared in more than 50 U.S. newspapers the next day. Many of Mark’s stories on charismatic species like grizzly bears, wolves, sage grouse and black-footed ferrets are picked up and featured statewide in the state’s largest newspapers. To cover a middle-of-the-night Game and Fish operation to translocate sage grouse to the Dakotas, Mark used his day off on his birthday and paid his own expenses. Mark’s speciality is his coverage of outdoor issues. But he brings great versatility to the Powell Tribune. This is community journalism. A news staffer at our newspaper is called upon to do a variety of stories in the course of twice-weekly publishing. It may be spot news like fire coverage or feature stories such as a top-to-bottom home remodeling or an avocation for raising champion hogs. Mark responds with stories offering revealing detail and flavor. Mark is a world class news photographer as well, and I don’t use that term loosely. He is tremendously skilled. He shoots news and sports events for the Tribune in addition to illustrating his own news and feature work. Mark is willing to help others on staff improve their photography if they want to learn and will trust and use the lessons of his teaching. Above all, Mark is kind and thoughtful. He is an asset to the Powell Tribune and to journalism as a profession. He credits his editors and management at the Tribune with providing him the leeway and the authorization to cover the outdoors as a “statewide beat.” I am proud to offer his nomination for deserved recognition as Veteran Journalist of the Year in Wyoming. Sincerely, Dave Bonner, Publisher
P.O. Box 70 • 128 South Bent Street • Powell, Wyoming 82435
Phone 307-754-2221 • Fax 307-754-4873 • e-mail: dave@powelltribune.com • www.powelltribune.com