Letter from the Publisher: Celebrating 9 Years of community journalism

Donna Melchor, Owner/Publisher of the Clovis Roundup. (Clovis Roundup file photo)

As we celebrate nine years, we want to thank Clovis, the business community, our advertisers and of course, our readers for their support.

My husband Ken and I started the Clovis Roundup in 2010 with no experience, investors or loans and it has been self sustaining since. The American Dream is still possible with hard work, sacrifices, and the right people put in our path.

We ran into a rough patch a year ago when Ken passed away. During difficult times, it has long been our policy to double down. This past year was no exception. Not only did everyone take on extra duties, they invested more in their normal duties. As a result, we are now better than ever and more diversified.

“As we approach nearly a decade in business, we will continue to serve Clovis and tell the great stories of this community.” 

– Donna Melchor

I believe every spoke of the wheel is of equal importance. Remove just one spoke head, and the whole operation would fall apart. It takes each spoke in the wheel to produce. That includes myself, my daughter and office administrator Caitie, production manager Billy Xiong, editor Daniel Leon, sports editor Paul Meadors, reporters Valerie Shelton, Tomas Kassahun, Carole Grosch, Alexandria Montes, photographer Christian Ortuno and social media specialist Leticia Madrigal.

The dedication from our employees has translated into awards as the Roundup was recently recognized at the California Journalism Awards hosted by the California News Publishers Association (CNPA). Competing against more than 1,300 dailies and weeklies across the state of California, Valerie won first place in the “Feature Story” category while Billy and Paul brought home third place in the “Sports Section” category.

As the publisher, I couldn’t have been more proud of these honors as they shine a light on the talent we have here. However, we’re not done here. Next year, we’re reaching for more awards.

Our dynamic ad sales team of Michael Avila and Marvin Strickler also play a key role to our success. When you pick up a free copy of our paper or have it delivered to your mailbox, remember who is paying the bill – our advertisers. So, next time you need to run an errand or go shopping, stop by one of our advertisers and show your support.

So, thank you to all that make Clovis Roundup happen. This is a true community project.

Donna Melchor is the owner and publisher of the Clovis Roundup. Her love and passion for the City of Clovis and its people is the inspiration behind this publication. For her dedication, Donna Melchor has also been honored as the 2012 Business Woman of the Year and as the recipient of the 2014 Spirit of Clovis award held by the Clovis Hall of Fame.