I am proud and thankful that my longtime boss and friend would write this about me. True to form, it’s pretty accurate, too. I’m sure anyone who really knows me would agree. Thanks, Mark.

H-S won’t be the same without Sunyak

By: Mark O’Keefe, executive editor

04/07/2009

Friday was one of my toughest days at the Herald-Standard since I started here back on June 15, 1981.
It was the last day for my good friend and hard-working colleague Paul Sunyak.

Simply put, this place will never be the same.
Personally and professionally, it’s quite a loss. Paul started working here about six months before I did, and our careers have been intertwined over the past 28 years.
We pretty much hit it off from the beginning. A live wire if there ever was one, Paul always enjoyed a good laugh or a funny story, and we shared many of those over the years.
Of course Paul was never hesitant about letting you know where he stood on the various issues of the day. We had daily discussions about all sorts of things. For the most part we saw things from the same point of view, but we had our differences and sometimes the arguments got a little heated. But just as quickly as the argument started it would be over, and we’d be back laughing and joking.
You see, the best part about Paul is you always know where you stand with him. He’s as upfront as anyone. He doesn’t tell you what you want to hear, and he certainly doesn’t beat around the bush. Good, bad or indifferent, he just lets it fly and says what’s on his mind.
He’s also loyal to a fault. In all our time here, I never had to worry about Paul going behind my back or saying one thing and doing another. He was true to his word. If he said something, he’d do it, come hell or high water. No excuses. He just did it. And in my book that’s the ultimate compliment.
Paul started here as a part-time sportswriter and eventually was hired full time as a news reporter. Within a year or two, he was moved to the paper’s new features department. There his excellent writing abilities began to surface as he brought stories about all types of people and places to life with his sparkling prose. He quickly gained a reputation as the best writer on the staff.
From there he was moved to the county government beat. While he balked at first, Paul settled in quickly and did an outstanding job. First he uncovered corruption at the Fayette County Housing Authority, which eventually led to the arrest and jailing of the executive director there.
Next up was the Fayette County Election Bureau and fraud problems there. And there were many more scoops and exclusive stories to come. The awards soon followed, and there were many. Paul won more awards than any reporter in the history of the newspaper, including many contests where he went up against reporters from the biggest newspapers in the state. It was incredible, especially for a newspaper of our size.
I had followed Paul’s career from a distance of sorts. I worked the nightshift for 17 years, and Paul worked dayside. While our paths crossed everyday, we never really worked together.
But that all changed about 10 years ago when I became the dayside managing editor and more importantly, Paul’s direct supervisor.
I then began to see all the pressure that Paul was under in covering county government. Everyone in the county, or so it seemed, had their own angle and agenda, and they all wanted Paul to make sure it was included in each and every story. I saw first hand his courage and determination in handling those who were trying to manipulate him. I also saw people try to destroy him and watched as Paul valiantly stood up to them and refused to give in.
I continued to supervise Paul directly when I became executive editor five years ago and promoted him to editorial page editor about a year later. It was a no-brainer to be sure. He was certainly knowledgeable about all the issues facing our readers, and he was unmatched in his writing skills.
It turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. He was clear and concise in making the case for our various stands, and his editorials were must reading for anyone concerned about the issues of the day.
Again, he was under fire from all sides. Many people thought he was too critical and too caustic. They didn’t seem to understand that he was supposed to give his opinion. Was he maybe a shade too direct? Maybe. No one’s perfect. But the thing with Paul was that he cared so much about what was best for the people of Fayette County. He just couldn’t bring himself to turn a blind eye to anyone who was in it for their own self interests.
In many ways, he was the conscience of not only the Herald-Standard but Fayette County. He fulfilled the true mission of a newspaper, which is to be a watchdog for the people. And for that, everyone should be grateful. He deserves nothing but well wishes as he starts a new career.
And for all the politicians out there, happy to see Paul go, I have a message. Don’t think for a minute that our mission has changed one iota. We will still hold all of our local politicians accountable. There will be no free passes or playing games. As long as I’m here, we will continue in the tradition of Paul Sunyak. He wouldn’t want it any other way.
Mark O’Keefe is the executive editor of the Herald-Standard. O’Keefe can be reached by e-mail at mo’keefe@heraldstandard, by regular mail at 8 Church St., Uniontown, Pa., 15401 or by phone at 724-439-7569.