J. Patrick “Pat” Reilly, co-owner of The Dodgeville Chronicle, has been named president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

WNA Past President Gregg Walker passed the gavel to Reilly during the Better Newspaper Contest awards banquet on Friday, June 24, in Madison, and the appointment became official on Thursday following a unanimous vote at the WNA annual meeting, which was held virtually.

In addition to the Chronicle, Reilly also co-owns the (Argyle) Pecatonica Valley Leader, the (Mineral Point) Democrat Tribune and The (Iowa County) AdVisor with his brother, Mike.

He has served on the WNA Board of Directors for approximately 15 years.

Reilly served in the U.S. Army for 11 years and earned his bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from UW-Platteville. A longtime baseball coach, he has twice been honored with the Dodgeville High School Coach of the Year award. He also was inducted into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Dodgeville Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010.

During the awards ceremony, Reilly discussed his uncle, Lewis Russell Kessler, who began the family tradition of owning and publishing The Dodgeville Chronicle. Kessler was named president of the WNA on April 25, 1936.

“The paper we own, my brother and I, has been in the family since the 1920s,” Reilly said. “It means a lot to me to be in this position now to follow a great man like that. … The guy was a very strong believer in community, and I hope that I am, too. I hope I can lead this organization as well as he did.”

Reilly precedes Gregg Walker, publisher of The Lakeland Times and The Northwoods River News, who has served as president since April 2020.

In addition to Reilly and Walker, who will serve a term as past president, members elected the following individuals to serve as officers on the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Board of Directors:

• 1st Vice President: George Stanley, editor and senior vice president of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
• 2nd Vice President: Kris O’Leary, publisher of The Record Review, Edgar
• Secretary & Treasurer: Jeff Patterson, president of APG Media of Wisconsin