From Centre Daily Times, Jan. 7 

New CDT publisher is newspaper veteran    

By Jennifer Thomas

On Jan. 5, Adrian Pratt was publisher of Knight Ridder's American News in Aberdeen, S.D., facing a winter of negative temperatures and wind chills.

Less than 24 hours later, he was standing in the Centre Daily Times newsroom being introduced as the newspaper's new publisher and president. He starts Jan. 24.

Pratt said he's excited about the move.

"Anything above freezing I'll take," he said with a smile. Temperatures in South Dakota had dipped to 26 degrees below zero before he left Jan. 6.

Pratt succeeds Pamela J. Browning, who will become publisher and president of The Macon Telegraph, a Knight Ridder newspaper in Georgia. Browning had been publisher at the CDT since March.

Browning had served on the boards of Centre County United Way, Centre County Community Foundation, the Chamber of Business and Industry of Centre County and The Second Mile and was active in several other organizations. During her tenure, the CDT saw steady growth in daily and Sunday circulation.

"P.J. brought great energy and a great spirit of community involvement," Executive Editor Bob Heisse said. "We'll miss her."

Pratt said he plans also to be involved in the community and is eager to introduce his family -- wife Amy and sons Morgan, 8, and Ewan, 5 -- to the State College area.

"It is the perfect community for a newspaper and to raise a family," he said. "I like the mix of town and gown, rural yet you've got all the amenities in town."

He said he has heard much about the town from friends.

"All of them speak so fondly of State College, I know it's going to be magical," he said.

Pratt, who attended the University of Georgia for a time, also understands the lure of a college football town and is looking forward to experiencing it again.

"I think it's going to be a very good fit," he said.

Pratt began his journalism career as a reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution before joining the St. Augustine Record in Florida, eventually becoming managing editor. He has also served as editor of The Athens (Ga.) Daily News and as editor and publisher of the Yankton (S.D.) Daily Press and Dakotan.

He joined the American News in April 2000.

American News Executive Editor Cindy Eikamp said Pratt was one of the best publishers, if not the best, she has worked with during her 30 years in the field.

"The entire community of Aberdeen is going to miss him -- especially the American News," Eikamp said. "He was a great publisher. He really cared about the community."

Pratt said he expects few changes at the CDT.

"I know what a challenge it is to try to put out a paper that represents all of the various constituents here," he said.