Former Lamar Democrat publisher takes top position at Texas newspaper

Former Lamar Democrat Publisher Dennis Garrison took over the reins of the Huntsville Item in Texas today:

Garrison said he was happy to accept the publisher’s position.

“I’m very pleased with the appointment,” Garrison said. “I’ve got some new plans and ideas for the newspaper and it’s going to be a fun and exciting time.”

A Missouri native, Garrison began his work with newspapers as a pressman in 1974 at the Lamar Daily Democrat in Lamar, Mo.

“Working in a small newspaper setting, I learned all aspects of the newspaper business,” Garrison said. “In 1975, I became editor and publisher for the Lamar Daily Democrat along with two small weeklies nearby.”

In 1979, Garrison joined the advertising sales team at the Pittsburg Morning Sun in Pittsburg, Kan., that gave him a new interest in sales.

“I was asked to go and serve as the advertising manager at the Newton Kansan in Newton, Kan., in 1983 and I stayed there for 19 years,” Garrison said. “I love advertising and sales. I really just love the newspaper business as a whole because I get to meet a lot of interesting people.

“I guess the old saying is true — “the ink’s in your blood.’ And that’s pretty much me. I loved the business and stayed with it.”

Garrison and his wife, Karen, who is director of communications at Spring Independent School District, moved to Huntsville in 2002 when he took the position of advertising director at The Item.

“Living in Huntsville has been a great experience for me,” Garrison said. “The people here are fantastic and we just love the community.”

Garrison and Karen enjoy spending time with their two sons — Brandon and Alexander.

Garrison, also an active community member, is a member of the Huntsville Church of Christ and the Huntsville/Walker County Chamber of Commerce Preferred Partners Networking Group.

“It’s great to work with people in the community,” Garrison said. “When people are in need and I am able to help them out through the newspaper, it’s more of a one-on-one experience.”

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Dennis Garrison gave me my first job at a daily newspaper when he hired me to be sports editor of the Lamar Democrat in May 1978. I worked there for eight months until Dennis was ordered to cut about half of his staff and I was one of the ones who was let go. A few weeks later, he hired me again to be the editor of the Lockwood Luminary-Golden City Herald. Unfortunately, Dennis was cashiered by Boone Publishing in late February 1979, paving the way for the disastrous Tommy Wilson era, which led to Lamar losing its daily newspaper.