The Erwin Record is an award-winning weekly newspaper based in Unicoi County, Tenn., with a circulation of nearly 5,000.

The first edition of The Erwin Record was published on Jan. 27, 1928, the heir to a number of newspapers published in the county since the late 1800s. For a short period of time in the 1930s, the Record published as a daily newspaper, but for most of its time has been published as a weekly newspaper.

The Erwin Record is one of Tennessee's most honored newspapers for journalistic excellence. The Tennessee Press Association has awarded the Record with its Sweepstakes Award for the past eight years -- 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 -- signifying the Record as the best non-daily newspaper in its class. The Erwin Record also received the "Grand Award" in 1957, naming it the best newspaper in Tennesssee.

The Erwin Record employs nine full-time employees and one part-time employee. The following is a biography of those employees.

Michael Baker -- New Media Staff Assistant

Michael is a student at Unicoi County High School and lives in Flag Pond. He moved to Unicoi County from Long Beach, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. He is happy to be working at The Erwin Record and says he's looking forward to being here for years to come.

Jerry Hilliard -- Editor Emeritus

Jerry Hilliard joined the staff of The Erwin Record in July 2001. He is a retired journalism professor and the first professor emeritus of East Tennessee State University's Communications Department. He worked as a full-time professor for more than 20 years at ETSU before retiring from teaching in 2001. He is a past president of the Greater Tri-Cities Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has worked for a variety of newspapers throughout his career including large dailies in Miami and Knoxville.

Rebekah Harris -- Associate Editor

Rebekah Harris, who served as news editor of The Record from 2003 until 2005, has re-joined the staff as associate editor. Dr. Jerry Hilliard, who now serves as editor emeritus, previously held the position of associate editor.
Harris, an award-winning writer and educator, was part of the Record’s staff when the newspaper, in 2003, won the Tennessee Press Association’s Sweepstakes/General Excellence Award for the first time. The newspaper has since won the distinction eight years straight.
Harris, who left The Erwin Record in 2005 to pursue a higher education degree, taught high school English, journalism and creative writing for five years in Carter County. While teaching at Hampton High School, she was instrumental in bringing back the school’s newspaper, the Bulldog Bark.
While Harris said she enjoyed teaching, she’s glad to be back reporting – particularly for the Record.
"I just like to write," Harris said. "So coming back to The Erwin Record afforded me the opportunity to do just that while I work on other projects."
Harris has a bachelor’s degree in English from Emory & Henry College and a master’s degree in education. She is working on a master’s degree of fine arts in creative writing through Spalding University in Louisville, Ky. She expects to graduate in 2012 with a specialized degree in "Writing for Children and Young Adults."
She is also in contract discussions with a major publishing house for the publication of her first novel.

Brandon Kane -- News Reporter

Brandon Kane, who had a successful internship with the Record in 2005, is returning to the Record following his graduation from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and electronic media.
Kane has worked for WUTK Radio in Knoxville; as a writer-blogger for the Kingsport Times-News; as a writer with TNJN, UT’s School of Journalism website; and as a contributing writer for Knoxville-based Metro Pulse.
He gets his talent naturally. His grandfather, Ed Kane, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his work at Kentucky’s Louisville Courier-Journal. His grandfather started his career at the Johnstown Tribune Democrat and went on to enjoy a 20-year stint at the Pittsburgh Press before moving on to the Louisville Courier Journal and earning the Pulitzer nod. He also served as press secretary to Indiana Gov. Edgar Whitcomb and later owned an advertising and PR agency for more than 30 years.
His aunt, Mary Kane, has worked for the Pittsburgh Press and the Cincinnati Inquirer and was the state bureau chief for the former United Press International. She is now a freelance writer in the suburban Washington, D.C., area.
Kane will serve as a full-time news reporter for the Record.

Anthony D. Piercy -- OT Managing Editor

Anthony joined The Erwin Record staff in 2006. He is a 2006 graduate of Unicoi County High School and has studied mass communications with a concentration in journalism at East Tennessee State University. He has won numerous awards from the Tennessee Press Association for his advertising designs, including three first place awards and 10 second and third place awards. He also received a first place award for his work on the newspaper's Web site. He serves as managing editor of OT, the newspaper's award-winning sports tab, published each week in The Erwin Record.

Donna Rea -- Advertising Director

A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Donna has worked for a number of companies over the years, but she began her career at The Erwin Record in 1988. She is responsible for the company's advertising sales. She is a 1965 graduate of Methacton High School and attended Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pa., and Penn State. She and her husband, Larry, moved to Erwin in 1983. They have two children, Stephanie and Stephen and two grandchildren.

Brian Reese -- Art Director

Brian Reese is an award-winning designer who has worked in the newspaper business for nearly 30 years. He has served as head of the copy desk and an editor at the Bristol Herald-Courier. He is married and the father of two children.

Brenda Sparks -- Circulation Manager/Photographer

Brenda came to work at The Erwin Record in August of 1999. A native of Flag Pond, she is the daughter of Thomas and Rosa Corn. (Her sister, Janice, worked at the newspaper for seven years until 2003). She graduated from Unicoi County High School in 1965. She was the owner and operator of Country Kitchen restaurant in Flag Pond from 1986 to 1996. Prior to coming to The Erwin Record, Brenda worked at Southside Fuels as secretary. In addition to greeting customers at the front counter, Brenda assists with numerous duties at The Erwin Record, including penning a personal food column, Country Kitchen. She is married to Edward W. Sparks, Flag Pond. They have three children: Vicki, Stuart Sparks and Benjamin Sparks and three grand children, Adam and Aaron Pritchard and Katie Rose Sparks. She is active with the Flag Pond Ruritan Club. She often takes photos published in The Erwin Record.

Keith Whitson -- Print Shop Supervisor

Keith graduated from Unicoi County High School in 1978 and East Tennessee State University in 1982. While at ETSU, Keith double majored in communications and art with a concentration in photography. He also worked at the East Tennessean, where he worked as assistant news editor and assistant features editor. He began his career at The Erwin Record in 1982 and has, but for brief stints elsewhere, been with the newspaper ever since. His job duties are as varied as his talents. Keith is in charge of managing and designing all the print jobs for the company's commercial print shop. He has been honored with several awards from the Tennessee Press Association for his advertising design work, including nearly one dozen first-place honors. He is the son of Nellie Pate, Erwin, and the late Bob Whitson.