During the Tuesday luncheon at the America’s Newspapers Senior Leadership Conference, Ray Carlsen, who served as executive director of the Inland Press Association for 23 years before retiring, was remembered in a talk by Marc Wilson, a former chairman of the Inland Press Foundation. Carlsen died in June at the age of 86.
Wilson, who also is founder and chairman of BLOX Digital and a director with the America’s Newspapers Foundation, called for a minute of silence to honor Carlsen, who he said made a career of helping people.
Wilson shared his story about meeting Carlsen during his first Inland Press Association conference in 1996.
Wilson said he was encouraged to attend the Inland annual convention by Ken Serota, the CEO of Liberty. But, when Serota was unable to attend the conference, Wilson said he was left not knowing anyone there — until he met Carlsen and his wife, Blaze, at the newcomer’s session just prior to the convention’s opening reception. He told Carlsen his story, adding that he knew no one there. “No problem,” Carlsen said. “Stand by my side and I’ll introduce you to everyone as they come in.”
That, Wilson said, was the beginning of his long and happy relationship with Inland and now with America's Newspapers.
“I — and likely many of us here — owe Ray a lot,” Wilson said. “I’ll repeat: He made a career of helping others. In my heart, he remains a friend and mentor.”
