My big boss John Temple once called me the Mayor of Rockyville in one of his columns. I suppose he wrote that because I love the Rocky Mountain News family so much. I was so broke when I was hired onto the photography staff that I arrived in Denver using gas bought on a company credit card. I was hired as a temporary employee at first, officially called an intern, so the Rocky could keep me on staff until a photographer left the paper making room for me. I moved here alone, and the only people I knew in Colorado I met on assignment or in the newsroom. This is my Colorado family. I also met my wife, Fairlight, at the Rocky which is poetic because it reaffirms that I was suppose to come here. It was meant to be.

I love being a photojournalist more than anything else in the world, and the Rocky has been a perfect fit for me. In the past nine years, I have been blessed to be part of one of the greatest photography staffs in the country. I have had the privilege to work and compete with some of the very best photojournalists in the world. I have been proud to speak all over the country to colleges and at workshops touting who signs my paycheck, the Rocky Mountain News. The photography staff has built an incredible reputation throughout the country and when the news came that Scripps was putting us up for sale I was contacted by many incredible people in our industry and one quote sticks above the rest.

“If the Rocky can fall, we are all in trouble. You guys are the best in the country. All I ever wanted to do is work for the Rocky and now . . . ” his voice cracked and so did mine. I have had butterflies in my stomach ever since. Some of it is because I am uncertain about my future, but most of it is because I have been part of an incredible crew that has sailed a beautiful ship for so long. No matter what happens, I applaud all those who have made my life so wonderful at the Rocky. Thank you.