Meet the Newest Member of Our Patch Family!

Peters Patch friends, we’ve added a new member to our Patch family!

Yes, you will be seeing a new face around town: Brian Duncan, our new advertising manager.

Please allow me to introduce you—at least online for now.

Here’s a bit more about Brian in his own words:

Community journalism and neighborhood togetherness have played a strong role in my life since I was a young boy. 

It all started when I delivered the "Community News" weekly publication when I was 12. My dad was also always hyper-aware of everything going on around town, so I learned a lot about community awareness and togetherness from him. 

Back in those days, it was all word of mouth and maybe the weekly newspaper. 

But now we have Patch!   

I obtained my bachelor’s degree in communications at La Roche College with the intention of reinventing media for the 21st century. And while that happened to some extent with deep research papers about a cashless society and a show on the web radio station, all that was just a bit ahead of the times.   

Because I enjoyed so many different things during college, I was never able to focus in one particular area. 

Did I want to be a writer? A radio personality? High-powered ad exec?  Pursue technology of some sort? 

But then I met a surly, spunky, very experienced editor who gave me a shot at community journalism. So, I contributed for several years to Gateway Newspapers while pursuing a master’s degree in journalism and public relations at Point Park University. 

While at Point Park I had the distinct pleasure of learning from some of the best in our profession, both in a practical and theoretical perspective. 

My experience with the Innocence Institute was a great look into the implications of investigative journalism. I continued to freelance for various publications in the area including Trib Total Media, Pittsburgh's OUT, Mt. Lebanon Magazine and several now-defunct online publications. My last freelance gig was with various Patch sites around the Pittsburgh area.  

I've been in marketing and advertising sales and consulting roles for more than five years, while still holding onto the community news element. Now that I'm with Patch, I'm able to pull them all together. And that's helping community businesses and organizations spread their word and connect with their neighborhoods.   

Everyone I've met in the Patch family truly believes in the mission and values of Patch, and I'm no exception. At the most basic level, Patch helps a community find out about the local news and events. 

But more importantly, we're Patch-ing the concept of community back together and bringing things back to the way they used to be—just online.   

When I'm not consulting with local businesses, community leaders and organizations on how to best utilize Patch to reach their neighbors, I'm chasing around my amazingly wonderful twin boys, who just started preschool, with my awesome wife.   

If there's anything I can help you with, including increasing your online presence in the community, reaching more potential customers, engaging your current audience at a much deeper level or just have overall marketing and advertising questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.   

I look forward to meeting all of you in the community as I make my rounds with your local editor and getting to know the places you call home. 

So please join me in welcoming Brian! We’ll see you out there!

Editor’s Note: If you would like to speak with Brian in the meantime, feel free to email him at brian.duncan@patch.com. Prefer to call? No problem! His number is 412-848-6952.

Follow Peters Patch on Facebook and Twitter, and sign up for our daily newsletter.