The Pagosa Springs SUN has a new publisher. Long-time employee Shari Pierce has been promoted, and the change becomes effective right away.
“I’m super excited to announce Shari as our publisher in Pagosa Springs,” said Jim O’Rourke, CEO/owner of O’Rourke Media Group (OMG), which owns The SUN. “We acquired the SUN and PREVIEW last September, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know and working with Shari. Transitioning into a new company after being sold is not easy for any business, and Shari has worked really hard to make sure that we maintain excellent service and commitment to the community. She’s the perfect choice to keep the SUN moving forward.”
Pierce has worked at the newspaper for the past 39 plus years, starting in the mail room inserting papers and has pretty much done or helped in every functional area of the business ever since. For the past 20 plus years, Pierce has been the advertising and circulation manager and has been a key contributor toward the financial success and viability of The SUN.
Officially speaking, Pierce replaces her sister Terri House, who was the previous publisher/owner and sold the company to OMG in September 2023.
In her free time, Pierce enjoys spending time with her family, quilting, painting, photography and volunteering in her community.
This is a strategic move that validates the importance of the publisher role for local community newspapers and OMG’s commitment to making sure The SUN continues to meet reader, advertiser and community expectations.
“So many newspapers in the country have done away with local publishers over the past 10-15 years, and that is absolutely a factor with the decline and challenges in the newspaper industry. I’m super confident that Shari and her team in Pagosa Springs are up for the challenge of continuing to grow and keep The SUN viable for many years to come. And, it’s OMG’s job to make sure we support whatever is needed to make this happen locally in Pagosa Springs,” O’Rourke said.
About the company
OMG is a fast-growing company that owns and operates hyper-local, community newspapers, websites, niche publications and a full-service digital agency.
We are family-owned and mission-driven to save newspapers and local media companies by investing in the people, resources and technology needed to thrive for many years to come. We believe that every community can benefit from a well-run, properly resourced, local newspaper and website.
Our news teams produce high-interest local news, and accurate and trustworthy reporting. Our sales and digital fulfillment teams bring omnichannel advertising solutions to local businesses in the communities we serve.
OMG now operates in eight states and 28 markets with 41 publications and hyper-local websites. We started from ground zero in December 2018, totally bootstrapped, confident and with an entrepreneurial mindset.
