History of Oro Valley Voice

1970s: Founding and Early Years

1974: Shortly after the Town of Oro Valley’s incorporation, Sancruval Corp. launched the Oro Valley Voice to serve about 1,200 residents. Edited by Dennis Joyce, early editions were just a few pages, selling for 15¢ or $3 per year for home delivery. Frank Lopeman worked as a runner for the combined Oro Valley Voice/Catalina Call, helping with newsroom production.

By 1977, the paper was rebranded as “The Newspaper of Northern Pima County,” expanding coverage to Catalina and nearby communities. Under editor Ted Turpin, it became a weekly. In 1979, one editorial was entered into the U.S. Congressional Record an unusual national recognition for a small-town publication.

These early years laid the foundation for community journalism in Oro Valley, giving residents a platform for local voices and building civic pride.

1980s: Expansion, Rebranding, and Hiatus

1980–1984: Still under the title Oro Valley Voice / The Catalina Call, the paper covered early commercial growth in Oro Valley. It was briefly known as Oro Valley Voice/Call before returning to The Oro Valley Voice.

By the mid-1980s, the original publication ended. Other regional outlets and newsletters stepped in during the Voice’s absence, but its legacy and impact remained through local archives and memories.

1990s: Dormancy and Regional Coverage

As Oro Valley grew to nearly 30,000 people by 2000, the Voice remained inactive. Local news came from the Northwest Explorer and official town newsletters, but there was no dedicated Oro Valley Voice during this period. The idea of the Voice lived on in the community’s gatherings and meetings.

2000s: Digital Age and Community Media

Early 2000s: Residents depended on regional newspapers and newsletters. Interest in reviving the Voice grew as the town expanded.

Mid-2000s: Entrepreneur Susan Penney, experienced in small business, planned a community newspaper and secured early advertisers. By age 20, she had already launched several ventures, building the foundation for the Voice’s modern revival and showing the community’s appetite for local news in the digital era.

2010s: Revival as a Community Publication

2010: Gregory Lopeman and Susan Penney brought back the Voice as a free, monthly print paper mailed to every home and business, reaching more than 67,000 readers. It focused on positive news, local profiles, events, and opinions, with a website for digital access.

Penney recalls: “I sketched layouts on napkins, printed our first issue at home, and delivered door-to-door. It turned out to be the perfect formula for real community connection!”

The Town of Oro Valley added a regular “Town Talk” column, nonprofits shared their work, and local writers contributed unique stories. By the end of the decade, the Voice was an essential part of the community, supported by local advertising.

The relaunch attracted over 5,000 new subscribers in the first year, showing the town’s strong demand for hyperlocal news.

2015: Contract Fallout and Leadership Change

2015: Contract negotiations stalled and Gregory Lopeman stepped aside. Theresa Poalucci, a veteran publisher from Seattle, became editor.

Theresa modernized the editorial approach, expanded email newsletters, and strengthened social media. She led the Voice’s shift toward digital-first publishing, maintaining strong engagement even as print revenues declined.

Theresa now works as a visual artist, with new work on her official website and Etsy shop.

2020s: Digital Transition and Multimedia Expansion

The pandemic disrupted print revenue, ending the independent print edition. By 2022, the Voice moved online, publishing news, newsletters, and social media updates, before pausing later that year. Even during the pause, archives remained a valuable resource and plans were set for a new digital future.

2025: Digital Renaissance Under Gregory Lopeman

2025: Gregory Lopeman returned and relaunched the Voice with a digital-first vision. New features include:

• Comprehensive real estate coverage with neighborhood guides and market reports
• An interactive Business Directory for local vendors
• The “Echoes of the Valley” podcast featuring community voices (listen here)
• Plans for a limited monthly print edition starting Monsoon Season 2025

The Voice now blends legacy and innovation, uplifting Oro Valley through news, stories, and local engagement.

Since the relaunch, traffic is up 150% and community engagement is stronger than ever, showing the value of this digital-first approach.