I had the great fortune to work for Dana Yost a few summers ago as an intern at the Marshall Independent and want to express my gratitude for all of his efforts and time spent there.

It was recently announced he will be taking an indefinite leave of absence.

He has the abilities and insights to work at any major news organization in the world. They all would be lucky to have him. But, Dana chose to dedicate his skills to the community, because it’s where he grew up and what he cared about the most.

In his stories and editorials, he addressed the most important questions we, as journalists, strive to answer. What does it mean? Why does it matter? How will it affect my readers?

For Dana, it was never about himself or winning awards or impressing anyone. The man has no ego.

He’s always had you and your family in mind when putting out the paper.

Now, it’s time to return the favor. The Independent’s readers owe Dana a standing ovation. I hope we should all be so lucky to get an encore someday soon.