This week marks an incredible milestone for Jim Keck: the 42^nd anniversary of his first fishing report in The Apopka Chief. We are grateful for his faithful service over all these years.  

Led by longtime editor John Peery and longtime publisher John Ricketson, the Chief has been blessed with remarkable stability over the years. Current staffers Jackie Trefcer, Nancy Thomas and Lesbia Toruño have all been with us for more than 20 years.  

Gigi Cohen has only been with us for eight months, but she quickly made her mark — engaging new clients, helping bring back the Best of Apopka contest, and launching the Light the Way Holiday Drive. Gigi’s success has catapulted her to a new opportunity serving not just Apopka, but all clients of MARC Media, our parent company.  

You will still see Gigi around town at some events, but this move gave us the opportunity to grow. To ensure our Apopka clients are served well, we have recruited Patsy Whitely-Beckett, a third-generation Apopkan and active member of the Apopka Area Chamber of Commerce, to join our team as a media advisor.  

Patsy is coming to the Chief from Insight Credit Union, where she served as the business development executive for Apopka, Eustis and Orlando. She is a native Blue Darter who is a member of the Community Police Association.  

Patsy also attends Renewal church and is a member of New Hope Baptist Church, where her late father was an assistant pastor for many years under the leadership of H.L. Dericho. 

We are very excited to welcome someone of Patsy’s skill and experience level as we grow our engagement with local businesses and organizations.