As the old saying goes, the teacher is disappointed when the student does not surpass them or in this case students.
I am referring to now former News Journal Publisher Trevor Sherman and current News Journal Publisher Jennifer K. Perkins.
Many moons ago, I can remember when Trevor started working here doing advertising and delivering the newspapers on Wednesday. He was a fresh-faced young kid, who was an incredibly hard worker.
He persevered improving his sales skills and helping out with sports. A few years later after sports editor Jim McAlister had to retire due to illness, Trevor stepped into the sports editor position quickly becoming a first-rate journalist.
A few months after the pandemic hit, Trevor left us for a year or so to sell insurance and then had a couple of different sales jobs before coming back to work at the News Journal.
He returned here about four years ago. This time around, instead of just doing sports, he also started writing feature stories and news stories. In addition, he oversaw our newspaper delivery operation.
A couple of years ago, he won the Kentucky Press Association’s Journalist of the Year Award for weekly newspapers. He put together a fantastic series on housing insecurity among other stories that year. I could not have been prouder of the journalist he became.
When the time came for Don Estep to actually retire last year, Trevor had my full support when he also stepped into the role of publisher. It wasn’t always easy for him, but he did great.
A few weeks ago, he informed us that he was leaving to take a job in academia. I won’t lie. I am going to miss him, but this is too good of an opportunity for him to pass up. I know he will do great.
Some people get short-timeritis after they give their notice, and you don’t hardly get any work out of them their last few weeks. This isn’t Trevor.
He has been working his tail off trying to leave things in a good place after he is gone.
This is the kind of man Trevor Sherman is.
He is going to do great in his new career.
When Trevor left us the first time about five years ago, Dean Manning slid over into the sports editor role, and we hired a former intern, Jennifer K. Perkins, as a reporter. She had only been out of school for a few months at the time, but she did fantastic winning several Kentucky Press Association Awards. I knew she would not be here a long time. She was just too talented. We all knew it was only a matter of time before she went onto bigger and better things.
I remember the day she told me and Dean that she was leaving to take a job as a producer at WYMT. It was sad, but I was happy for her.
Much as I expected, it did not take her long to move up at the television station.
After being there for less than one year, she was promoted becoming the youngest news director in station history, and the first female news director in station history.
Ironically, her replacement when she left the News Journal was Trevor Sherman.
When Trevor made the decision to leave a few weeks ago, Jennifer was his first call in terms of finding a replacement for himself as publisher.
As it turned out, she had already given her notice at the television. Sometimes in life timing is everything.
Jennifer is the perfect person for the publisher’s job. She has management and news experience.
She also has fresh new ideas, including some ways for the new website we are launching to make us some additional revenue.
Ironically, although Jennifer and Trevor know each other and have both had worked here at the News Journal, they were only here at the same time for that few months when she interned for us while in college that summer.
I definitely did not teach Trevor or Jennifer everything they know, but I like to think I played at least a small role in helping train them and shaping them into fine journalists.
Please join me in wishing my friend Trevor success in his new endeavor and wishing my friend Jennifer good luck in her new role here as publisher.
Both are going to do great.
