Former Time Inc. executive to run for Warren mayor

Staff report

WARREN

Dennis Blank says he’s running as an independent candidate for mayor because he gained the business experience during a 25-year career with Time Inc. to help Warren prosper.

Furthermore, since Mayor Doug Franklin, a Democrat, has no Democratic opponent in the May primary and no Republican opponent in the general election, there would be no debate about the city’s future without a candidate like him entering the race.

“We must have a debate about the future of the city or nothing will change,” Blank said in a news release. “We need a competition of ideas. Simply allowing the next guy up to manage the city’s decline isn’t good enough. We need energy, new talent and enthusiasm. I will bring these qualities to the job of mayor.”

Blank formally announced his candidacy Wednesday at the Mocha House restaurant.

Blank graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in 1967 and Hiram College in 1971, then worked in New York, London and Chicago, specializing in marketing.

Among his positions were marketing director for Fortune magazine and associate publisher of Money magazine.

Since retiring and returning to Warren, he started a website, Warren Expressed, where he has written more than 500 blog posts, and helped found gregg’s gardens, which he said has improved the condition of the area north of downtown he named the Garden District.