By Lloyd Garrison

David Taylor was among the first to join the advisory board that helped launch Norfolk Now, and when the call went out for someone to set up a rate structure and solicit ads, he was the first to step forward.

That was a full four years ago. Now he has decided to make room for a fresh volunteer. Advertisers can rest assured that he will stay on until the position is filled. “When I leave I want billing to be up to date and everything in order for the hand over,” he says.

While working full time as a realtor in Elyse Harney’s Norfolk office, Taylor generated a steady increase in ad space from the first issue to the present.

As the paper grew from 14 to often well over than 16 pages, so did production costs.  To meet this challenge, Taylor shaped three rate increases while still retaining the support of advertisers. “There is no doubt,” says Rosanna Trestman, the paper’s co-founder, “that without Dave Taylor, Norfolk Now would never have gotten off the ground.”

“Everyone connected with the paper owes Dave a huge thank you,” adds Shelley Harms, an executive editor and early participant. “People have told us that they read the ads as much as the articles.”

The work of his replacement will be just as critical to Norfolk Now’s future. Rising energy costs are affecting the paper’s bottom line, increasing the pressure on staff to find ways to generate income, while still offering an affordable platform for local merchants to get their message out.