Debbie Ramsey: 18 years of dedication

Julie Reeder

Fallbrook/Bonsall Village News

It is with feelings of sadness, excitement, and gratefulness that, after 18 years, we're announcing the (medical) retirement of Debbie Ramsey from her position as Managing Editor of the Village News.

Sadness, because we will truly miss having her in the office every day, as well as some nights and weekends. The job she's done has been nothing short of amazing and we will truly miss having her at the helm of our Village editorial team. I believe one of the best decisions of my life was hiring her to lead that department.

As a resident of Fallbrook from 1961 to 1975, when she went away to college, and then again from 1988 to current, Debbie truly understands our community and what makes it great - from the nonprofits, fire and safety, and business community to the schools and town leaders.

We feel excitement for her as she'll now have more time to dedicate to wellness. She can also actually enjoy her nights and weekends without interruption of calls because of fires, car accidents, or criminal behavior of some kind.

Finally, gratitude is the strongest emotion, as it's been 18 years that Debbie has provided fair, award-winning news for the communities we serve.

She could be depended upon to be that beacon of professionalism, wisdom, and journalistic integrity. Whether there was hysteria, danger, cronyism, strong-arming or just plain fabrication of events, it wouldn’t faze Debbie. She isn’t afraid of anyone and she isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions. One of her greatest assets is a long and strong memory. In this town someone would have a hard time getting away with anything if, at one time, she knew about it

Debbie is one of the most conscientious people I know and yet compassionate. While she has kept very strong ethical boundaries in her department, she doesn’t hesitate to help us support a community cause with her editorial copy and even possibly make it front page, because she understands what it means to the community. If there’s a fundraiser for someone in need, she knows that our supportive story on the front page along with help from the ad department, could mean the difference of thousands of people attending a charitable event, and in a community paper, that is a high priority.

Behind the scenes, it’s been our mission to be fair to all high school sports teams. We also wanted every student to be in the paper at least three times before they graduate. Debbie took those goals seriously and her fairness was guaranteed with systems she put into place. In order to make sure one sport didn't dominate coverage, her department would look at the sports schedule for the year and, well ahead of time, organize coverage to make sure no one was left out. If a team was having exceptional success, then they, of course, would also have those news stories, but every sports team had a spotlight at some point.

With special projects like the yearly Grad Section in June, every student is able to have their name in the paper at least a couple times for their graduation accomplishments and it’s a nice “keeper” section for the family.

It is the same with nonprofits. Debbie understands how crucial the nonprofits are to our community. Because we are not an incorporated city, the nonprofits are one of the reasons our rural area is such a wonderful place to live. They all contribute and she makes sure they can all have something in the paper at least monthly to support their efforts and their main events are given priority.

While it takes a team of about 40 people to run the entire organization, we remain committed to strong, quality news, which is foundational to our success with over 50,000 readers in print and online. We will continue to serve the community, county government, and agencies, our readers, and our advertisers who support us financially, trust our coverage, and depend on us to keep the community informed.

Debbie has been a crucial part of our success over the last 18 years and is leaving a great team in place and a firm foundation for us to continue to build and grow.

Where will Village News editorial go from here? While Debbie's provided strong leadership, she also leaves behind a talented team. The paper will continue with strong community-focused journalism and the systems that are in place to provide fair coverage. People who are presently with the paper are excited for the opportunity to do more and grow in their leadership roles, so don't worry, we're good, and the community is still in good hands with the Village News as a watchdog and community support team.

Thank you Debbie, from the bottom of our hearts for all your years of wonderful, meaningful, amazing service to us and to your community. We wish you a happy and relaxed retirement, including nights and weekends!