Ronnie Boggs
The Oglethorpe Echo Legacy, Inc., the nonprofit that publishes The Oglethorpe Echo, is getting a new chairman. Longtime Lexington resident Ronnie Boggs will take over for Dink NeSmith, effective April 1.
NeSmith, who initiated the idea to save the 152-year-old newspaper from closure in 2021, will move into an emeritus chairman role.
“Ronnie is a perfect choice,” NeSmith said. “He lives a short walk from the newspaper. His institutional knowledge of the community is priceless. And he is an ardent supporter of The Oglethorpe Echo.”
Boggs was the former mayor of Lexington, still serves on the city council, and is the president of the Oglethorpe County Chamber of Commerce.
“I am deeply honored and excited to be appointed as chairman of The Oglethorpe Echo Legacy, and appreciate the confidence that Dink NeSmith and the board has placed in me,” Boggs said. “We are truly blessed to have the partnership of the UGA College of Journalism working with The Oglethorpe Echo to keep the stories of our community alive.”
NeSmith also arranged the partnership with UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, which has provided real-life journalism experience for more than 200 students in four-plus years. Professors Amanda Bright and Andy Johnston have provided instruction and leadership.
The Oglethorpe Echo’s readership has shown substantial growth, especially through its digital platforms since the transition on Nov. 4, 2021. Increased revenue and profitability have helped to create a rainy-day fund to assure long-term sustainability.
In addition, The Echo’s success story has appeared in numerous national publications and online outlets, and the newspaper has won 32 awards in the Georgia Press Association’s annual Better Newspapers Contest.
Last year, The Echo was second in General Excellence, the top category in the GPA contest.
“The Echo era at Grady began when Dink called me,” Grady College Dean Charles Davis said. “And it will live on, thanks to his vision and drive. He’s a friend, a partner and most importantly, Grady College to his core. His contributions to The Echo are endless. His impact is immeasurable.”
Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the newspaper is business manager Trisha Bearden, with assistance from Valerie Argo, office manager, and Lourdes Boyd, marketing manager. Several volunteers also help with office duties.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the leadership Dink NeSmith has provided to this newspaper and to our community,” Bearden said. “His vision, generosity and unwavering belief in the power of local journalism, and specifically for The Echo, have been a true blessing. His shoes will truly be impossible to fill. The good news is that filling his shoes is not the goal. Moving forward is.”
Former editor and publisher Ralph Maxwell Jr. donated the paper to The Oglethorpe Echo Legacy Foundation in the fall of 2021.
“I will always be grateful to Ralph Maxwell and his family for embracing a spontaneous idea,” NeSmith said. “Gratitude also goes to Dean Charles Davis. Within minutes of our 2021 conversation, Charles remarked, ‘I like it.’ Teamwork, indeed, makes the dream work. We have a tremendous team. I’m not abandoning the newspaper. It’s just time to inject some new energy and ideas. Devotion to The Oglethorpe Echo is embedded in my soul.”