Awards with DCEO magazine
“Best Feature Story: Silver “The Resurrection of an Industrial Ghost Town” by Jennifer Warren.
Thoroughly original and eye-opening, this story tracks the redevelopment of Chernobyl-looking industrial land into a modern fusion of technological innovation and creativity. The writer makes sense of the staggering project by untangling its history, scope, process, potential and strategic plan. This is a prime example of when a great idea meets terrific reporting and first-rate writing.”
Reindustrialization,
Texas-style
Link to the story and photos of tour day, January 2024.
I was pleased for all of us this year at the ‘Oscars of magazine publishing’. Designer Hamilton Hendrick won gold for Best Feature Layout of the story.
In January of 2022, I learned about the development and the backstory about the now-Sandow Lakes Ranch, changing hands from Alcoa to developer Xebec Realty. I brewed about its meaning for months on end. Then dropped it. I wrote other stories pertaining to shifts in the post-pandemic world— musings about natural capital, sustainability, energy, technology. By late 2023, I thought this could be pitched as the epitomy of the reindustrialization of America, a pattern or sorts.
Once in print after April 2024, I presented new facets of this story to investors, at universities, summits, and even a speaking tour in spring of ‘25. This “case study” was presented no less than 10 times: investor summits in NYC and SXSW, University of Montana twice and on my global affairs tour. I noticed in January 2025, that OpenAI wrote its AI blueprint with the idea of reindustrialization and ChatGPT had been on my site in late 2024. (I discussed this in a video.)
Weeks before publication, I presented about natural capital, the development and energy at a SXSW investor summit, trying not to scoop the feature.
The Sandow Lakes Ranch project has taken a life of its own, with new chapters added. To my point, we all play small parts in a larger narrative. I’m just the story teller, and once I tell it, all bets are off. I don’t know where it goes. I just know it will be good. PS. When turning in copy, I gave Hendrick about 8 photos from which he sculpted his masterpiece. A real Leonardo.
“Gold: D CEO Magazine; “The Resurrection of an Industrial Ghost Town”; Hamilton Hedrick
Brilliant execution of contrasting color and black-and-white photographs communicates the stark contrast of nature and industry. Bold font and style choices are repetitive of form and beautifully reiterate the conceptual message of contrast and change. Every photograph is gorgeous, from portraits to landscapes. Graphic elements and secondary text act as wonderful
accents throughout. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
By invitation: informing investors
Musings and analysis on oil markets, prior to the brink of U.S. involvement in Iran.
Road Behind with Dallas committee on Foreign Relations
at perot’s private museum
Unbeknownst to me, I didn’t even realize it was ‘that’ private until I read this.
the road ahead: research and development and projects
Looking ahead, still…