Dennis 'inspires hard work and loyalty'
"His particular brand of loving, supportive and empathetic leadership backed up by incredible knowledge and skill, high standards, high expectations and accountability has created a culture at Patch that makes many editors call it their best job. He inspires hard work and loyalty and is able to traverse difficult times with stoic level-headedness."
Alison Bernstein
General Manager, Angi
former Patch CEO and board adviser, 2019-21; former GM of The Knot
'Cultivator of talent'
"Dennis plays a significant role on our leadership team, serving as an example and inspiring his peers and other editorial managers. He is also an excellent identifier, cultivator and manager of talent. He genuinely cares about his team, his colleagues and the company, and that is reflected on a regular basis through his behavior and actions. His level of concern about Patch as a whole and his insight into the business side is part of what separates him from his peers. He and his team are regular leaders in the company when it comes to editorial, organizational and operational innovation."
former Editorial Director, Aol Patch
former Editor, Journalists.org
'Gregarious sense of humor'
"Dennis Robaugh is a newsman to the core, which is why it was such a pleasure working for him. He understands the urgency of spot news and motivates reporters firmly yet enthusiastically. He excels at collaboration and coordination of large, multi-staff projects, and he always makes time for his employees, even in the midst of a chaotic work day. I've never known him to leave the office before 7 p.m. But his most effective asset is his creativity. He is open to new ideas, designs and story ideas, and he isn't afraid to take risks. And he has a salty, gregarious sense of humor — essential to every workplace."
Kristen McQueary
Vice President, Res Publica Group
former Chicago Tribune Editorial Page Editor
former Daily Southtown politics reporter
'Superbly written newspaper'
"It's been brought to my attention many times that The Courier-News (was) a superbly written, well-organized newspaper.
"It is not mere chance, I believe, that the improved quality of the writing and reporting coincided with Dennis' appointment as metro editor and writing coach.
"This newspaper became a writers' nursery, fostering a belief that quality writing is paramount and the written word is treasured. Dennis helped create that atmosphere."
Mike Bailey
Media Consultant
mentor and former Managing Editor
The Courier-News / Copley Press
'He challenged us to take on ambitious projects and supported us'
I worked for Dennis as part of a five-member investigative team at the Daily Southtown. Though we were a much smaller paper than others in our market, he told us to act as if we were the equals of any higher-paid, more prestigious competitor, because he believed we could be. He was constantly looking for ways to make our work stronger, more sophisticated, and more powerful. He challenged us to take on ambitious projects and supported us on difficult assignments. Many of his lessons in reporting, interviewing and writing, I pass on to journalism students I mentor today."
Director, The American Writers Museum; former Daily Southtown religion and philanthropy reporter
'Once-in-a-career leader'
"Dennis was Editor-in-Chief at Patch for the first four of my five years there, which was a time when I learned so much and had my passion for local news rekindled. Dennis played an oversized role in making those four of the best years in my 30 or so years of covering the news.
"Dennis is a once-in-a-career leader who has a gift of making everyone working with him better. Like a lot of great newsroom leaders, Dennis is smart, tough, able to see through bullshit, and dedicated to helping readers understand the places where they live. He's the rare editor who can think five or six steps ahead of the current news cycle and the kind of writer whose prose makes you want to give up altogether because you start to question whether you can ever be that good.
"Unlike a lot of great newsroom leaders, Dennis does it all without being a dick in an industry which is littered with dicks in high places. More than anything else, Dennis cares for the people who worked for him, and that compassion was built on respect and trust."
former Regional Manager, Patch New England
former reporter Boston Globe, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
'Fun and wise presence'
"As a first-time Product project manager working on large-scale automated publishing, I looked towards Dennis' guidance when it came to understanding if a dataset was valuable and local enough for us. Dennis was an institutional force at Patch and being able to lean on him in moments where I was unsure of the value of a given dataset or automated vertical was incredibly helpful. Dennis was an advocate for the Product team during times where there were disagreements between us and the Editorial team. That's not to say he thought we were infallible, but more that he had a knack for building bridges amongst both teams and ensuring that we were all working towards our goals with each other's considerations in mind.
"Along with all this, he'd bring this fun and wise presence to meetings that helped me come out of them feeling more confident than when I went into them. When he spoke about the work being done at Patch during All Hands meetings, he'd center everyone's work around the goal of building Patch as a journalistic institution. That constant reminder about the importance of the work we were doing was crucial in helping me understand how my role impacted the lives of our editors and readers."
Project Manager, New York Times
former Patch Product Manager
'Encourages and inspires new ideas and innovation'
"Dennis is a creative thinker who continually encourages and inspires new ideas and innovation. During his years as managing editor of the Daily Southtown, Dennis guided the paper to some of its greatest achievements. He set high standards for himself and the entire newsroom, and saw to it that we reached those standards.
"He managed with a sure and steady hand. His sense of humor gave the paper an undeniable vibrancy. He helped make me a better page designer by encouraging me to stretch my skills beyond my comfort zone, and I thank him for that."
Cartoonist, Hallmark; former Daily Southtown Art Director
Dennis 'always gives his reporters the amount of trust they deserve'
"Dennis Robaugh is the best editor with whom I've ever had the privilege of working. Although Dennis always made my writing sing, when I went back over the paragraphs I could seldom put my finger on what he had changed. A talented writer himself, Dennis never fell victim to the temptation to allow another person's writing to be a creative outlet for his own. Dennis is an extremely supportive supervisor and always gives his reporters the amount of trust they deserve.
"His faith in me inspired me to take on challenging projects, including a three-part serial narrative that won a prestigious award. Dennis also taught me the art of portraying and developing a character in a story. Again, he gently coaxed me to the point where I was ready to ask him for help. Thanks to Dennis and his behind-the-scenes work, I became the writer I am today."
Owner, SiteInSight: small business website development; former Daily Southtown crime and legal reporter
'He taught me so much about myself'
"Dennis gave me confidence. He nudged me to try things, to push the envelope and use the platform in ways I dreamt up but was initially too afraid to execute. He embraced my personal approach to my websites, my desire to connect and engage with people. He told me to go for it — act first, assess later. If failure is a possibility, fail fast and hard, and then start again.
"He gave me insight. He taught me so much about myself, often reassuring me to have faith in my talent and decision-making, but to also check my ego and emotions at the door. He helped me grow as a person, while also giving me opportunities to expand my skill set. It wasn’t always easy to hear, but his guidance was invaluable."
Director of Editorial Recruitment and Training, founding Patch local editor
'He'll help make you better'
"Here’s the truth about Dennis Robaugh that he’s too humble to tell you himself: He's full of great ideas, he’s got great instincts, works really hard and actually gives a damn about producing quality work.
"He’ll help make you (and you’re whole damn organization) better. That’s what Dennis did for me during the years he was my editor at the Daily Southtown. If you get a chance to work with him, you’re lucky. He’s the real deal."
Mark Konkol
Pulitzer Prize and Emmy Award winner
Documentary Writer and Producer
former Chicago Sun-Times
and Daily Southtown reporter
'Inventive on the business side'
"Dennis is an exceptional leader in every sense. For his very first effort with Patch.com he launched 24 sites in the same time frame it took his counterparts to launch 12. Several of those sites became the most highly read across the country in monthly unique visitors, and were among the first to reach consistent profitability. While a consummate newsman at heart, he brings an intense creativity and knack for efficient problem solving to his projects. He is just as inventive on the business side, which played a huge role in the financial success of sites under his watch. Perhaps his greatest strength as a leader is the compassion he shows his team, while never compromising on his exceptionally high standards. He demands your best every day, but he will always have your back."
Benji Feldheim
Author of "Count Dante: The Deadliest Man Alive"
Healthcare Writer; founding Patch local editor