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Sherry Matthews - General Manager/Advertising Director

About Sherry Matthews:

Sherry is a 1982 graduate of UNC-Wilmington with BA in English/Communications. She has 35 years of experience as a journalist, 25 of them with The Sampson Independent. A Sampson County native, Sherry is a winner of 3 N.C. Press Association Awards for editorials and general news reporting, and the recipient of 5 NC School Bell Awards for excellence in education reporting. Sherry was the 2001 NC Distinguished Women of NC nominee.

Anthony McConnaughey - Sports Editor

About Anthony McConnaughey:

Anthony joined The Sampson Independent as full-time sports editor in 2022. He moved into town a couple of years after time in the service looking for a change, and now coordinates all local sports coverage.

Kim Bell - Circulation director

About Kim Bell:

Jeffrey Howard - Advertising sales

About Jeffrey Howard:

Jack Tunnell - Staff Writer

About Jack Tunnell:

Tunnell brings a unique skill set to the Independent and the community, as he graduated from Georgia State University with a degree in English literature. After several years at the University of Richmond, Tunnell chose to return to Rome to manage a clothing store while earning his Associate Degree from Georgia Highlands College. He then moved to Atlanta to finish his degree at Georgia State. Since graduating, he has worked as a substitute teacher and tennis coach for his high school alma mater.

Chris Berendt - Editor

About Chris Berendt:

Chris earned a BA in journalistic communication from Purdue University. He began as a crime reporter with The Sampson Independent and has since covered every aspect of news. He took over as managing editor in 2016 before being promoted to editor at the beginning of 2019. His work has garnered N.C. Press Association awards for excellence in business writing, education reporting and news features.

Brenda McCullen - Classified Director

About Brenda McCullen:

Brenda attended Hardbarger Business College in Raleigh and has been with The Sampson Independent for 23 years. She has won three N.C. Press Awards, including in 1997, First Place, Best Classified Section/Page; in 2002, Second Place, Best Community Service Signature Page; and in 2003, First Place, Best Spot Color Restaurant/Entertainment Ad. She was married to the late Ronnie E. McCullen for 35 years and has 3 children, Nicole, Jonathan and Charlie, and 7 grandchildren, Carsyn, Braeden, Cullen, Easley, Maggie, Autumn and Annabel. Brenda is a Notary Public.

Michael Hardison - Staff Writer

About Michael Hardison:

Michael attended UNC Pembroke where he earned his Bachelor of Science for Mass Communiation Journalism in 2015. A 2009 graduate from Clinton High School, he's worked with The Sampson Independent since 2017. When he began, he was a sports editor and sports stringer, but has been a general news reporter since 2020.