Kent Dunn Will Continue to Inspire Augusta Today

We started revving the engines on what would become Augusta Today about a year ago. Initially, with some degree of seriousness and a dash of mischief, I saddled this little-publication-that-could with the not-all-that-innocuous tag ‘Free and Easy.’ To my surprise, and joy, it sort of stuck. I liked that it succinctly described the ethos behind Augusta Today – a free publication that is easy to access and digest – as well as sounding ever-so-slightly naughty. Free and Easy felt...well, easy. 

But the time has come for a change. Not just because there is an element of flippancy at work that I am no longer comfortable, but also because I would like to honor the man that, without whom, Augusta Today would not exist. 

Augusta Vice President and Market Manager Kent Dunn recently retired from the Beasley Media Group after 34 years. His final day of inspiring, instructing, and engaging the crew here in Augusta was Friday. He will be deeply missed. My time with him as a leader, cohort and coconspirator was far too short – one year, perhaps to the day. Others had the good fortune to look to him for advice, comradery, and an example of staying true to one’s principles for decades. I envy them. One of the greatest gifts I have ever received – certainly professionally speaking – was a late spring meeting when Kent asked me if I would be interested in taking the wheel of Augusta Today. I remember asking him what, exactly, he was looking for. 

“You tell us,” he said. 

That, in coming to understand the culture and formula for success at Beasley, seems to be Kent Dunn’s particular brand of magic. He sees in others what they may not see in themselves, looks for people who are ready to take a chance on their own abilities, and offers the opportunity and freedom to excel. Some people would refer to that cynically as giving people enough rope to hang themselves. When Kent did it, it felt like he was giving me enough rope so I could drop anchor and stay a while. 

Wednesday night, Beasley employees, families, customers, and fans with even the most tangential of affiliations gathered for a decidedly informal formal sendoff for the skipper. There were some laughs, most certainly, and some tears, most assuredly. Speeches were made, stories were swapped, and the occasional good-natured jab was either absorbed or parried. It was beautiful, as expected. What was unexpected, however, was how forward-facing I found the evening. I left not sentimental but inspired. I felt like, having spent even a small amount of time in Kent Dunn’s orbit, meant that I now had a responsibility to ensure his idea for a free local news source not only survived, but thrived. 

Which brings us back to Free and Easy. 

As the evening began to wind down, Kent, as expected, stepped up to the podium. He talked about the things one expects to hear at moments like this. His time in radio. The people he has known. The experiences he has had. 

And then he began to talk about Augusta. He talked about how, in 1991, he expected Augusta to be a stopover, a few years spent on the way from one place to another. Instead, he said, he found a home. Augusta is the place he chose to stay and where he has chosen to remain. The reason, he said, is the people, many of whom were in that room with him. He explained that those gathered represented something more than employees, or friends, or even family.  

“We are the community,” he said. 

Let that sink in. We are the community. That’s powerful. It certainly distills his approach to radio and, in turn, mine to writing. I also think it was the initial inspiration for Augusta Today. We write for readers that we know - the people we see every day. We write for the families we see in the grocery store. We write for the guy singing a country song at a Washington Road stoplight. We write for all of those people, from Aiken to Thomson, having good days and bad. We write for the CSRA for that one simple reason – We are the Community. 

And so, I am retiring Free and Easy and, in its place, offer something a bit more meaningful – We are the Community. It’s a tagline and, quite frankly, our reason for bringing readers stories about and by people in the Greater August area. It’s also earned a place of permanence because it will serve to remind us that Kent Dunn, a man whose continued faith in our ability to handle whatever rope we are offered, remains our North Star. 

Thank you, Kent. Enjoy your retirement.  

Steven Uhles 

Augusta Today 

We are the Community