Gloria Mock, the former advertising director for INDY Week and a veteran event and festival producer, has joined the staff of the News + Record as Advertising + Marketing Manager, Publisher Bill Horner III announced.
In the position, Mock will be responsible for all advertising sales and revenue generation through News + Record promotions and events.
Mock assumes the position held by Dawn Parker, whose family has moved to Wake County.
“We’re very excited to have Gloria as part of our team,” Horner said. “She has extensive print advertising sales experience and is very highly regarded in our industry as a sales professional. As we expand what we’re offering to our readers and audiences in Chatham County, Gloria is a perfect fit for the position.”
After graduating from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Journalism with an emphasis in advertising, Mock began her career at The South Boston News in Southside Virginia. Upon returning to the Triangle, she landed a job at the Comic Review, which was eventually purchased by the Independent Weekly (now INDY Week) where she held several roles throughout her tenure. In her time working in sponsorship development, Mock also helped produce the Hopscotch Music Festival for the past six years.
“I was having the time of my life helping to run Hopscotch music festival,” Mock said.
She broadened her event production experience with the EnoFest in Durham and at Hulaween in Florida. But when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live music events, she began to explore a possible change in careers.
“That’s when I met Bill Horner III,” Mock said. “I could see right away that he has vision, he’s innovative and open to new ideas and I wanted to be part of that. The viability of local media has become so important and this opportunity gives me a seat at the table, to take part in the conversation. Chatham County is not only home for me — it’s also unique and fascinating. There is so much rich history and thriving agriculture against the backdrop of expansive growth and development.”
Mock is no stranger to Chatham. She lives on the border of the county at the Orange County line and her husband Mouse Mock is a real estate broker and property manager who focuses much of his business in north Chatham. Her brother-in-law (Pete Mock) is also the book buyer at McIntyre’s in Fearrington Village.
“This is our neck of the woods,” Mock said. “It’s our home. I love this community.”
While Mock says she’s thrilled to be returning to a news media organization, she specifically is looking forward to meeting clients, building advertising campaigns, working on projects such as La Voz de Chatham and much more.
“I kind of feel a little like a kid in a candy store,” Mock said. “There are so many opportunities to build and create ... It’s so exciting and I’m honored to be part of this team.”
Mock, a yoga enthusiast and Grateful Dead fan, and is an avid hiker. She also enjoys traveling — whether visiting a new restaurant five miles down the road or a destination hundreds or thousands of miles away. During the lockdown, she developed an interest in history and psychology and has been devouring podcasts and lectures in these fields. The Apex High School graduate says she’s also a fan of kombucha, white Russians, the Oxford comma and author Barbara Kingsolver.
“Our print product, the News + Record newspaper, has won more news and reporting awards than any other community paper in North Carolina the last two years,” Horner said. “Gloria is going to help share our value proposition with advertisers, but she also will focus on getting ad support for our other products, including a video news program we’re developing, new digital products and events. I couldn’t be more excited to have someone with her experience and of her caliber to help us showcase our work.”
“I love people and their stories,” Mock said. “I think that is my superpower. I’m a connector. I’m looking forward to building new connections here in Chatham County.”
Mock can be reached at gloria@chathamnr.com or by phone at 919-270-2021.