Acerca de
About
Who are we?
The people behind D-R Media and Investments LLC:
David Dunn-Rankin
Chairman
Rachel Frank
President
David Dunn-Rankin is the founder and co-owner of D-R Media and Investments LLC. He brings a passion for quality local journalism, supporting small businesses, and leading growth businesses.
Prior to joining the newspaper and media industry, David was a CPA and consultant. He also worked as a technology entrepreneur and successfully developed and led multiple technology startups based in Atlanta, GA.
David has an MBA from Emory University, earned the CFP designation, and was formerly a practicing CPA. David holds a bachelor's degree in both Economics and German from Sewanee: The University of the South.
David enjoys swimming, traveling with his family, and entrepreneurship.
Rachel is President at D-R Media and Investments and co-owner. Rachel leads the company’s operational functions. She brings excitement for ensuring business growth and supporting local journalism. Rachel also serves as President at Sun Events and is responsible for leading a rapidly expanding concert promotions business and overseeing the division’s strategy, operations, and finances. Rachel also launched her Cruise Planners franchise in January 2025.
Prior to D-R Media , Rachel worked in the non-profit sector by helping forge community partnerships.
Rachel has a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Sewanee: The University of the South. Rachel enjoys reading, exploring new places, politics, and spending time with her husband and four children.
Kurt Vantosky serves as President of the Newspaper Group at D-R Media. Kurt oversees the publishing of our daily Newspaper in Highlands county and our weekly newspapers in Polk, Lake & Sumter counties.
Vantosky’s career spans senior roles at organizations such as Advance Media, Hearst and McClatchy, as well as at family-owned newspapers such as Central Maine Newspapers. He has deep experience in growing revenue, as well as a significant understanding of news, circulation and group-level management. Known for strengthening local journalism and building high-performance teams, he has earned a reputation as a hands-on, data-driven executive who understands both the business and the mission of community newspapers.
John Shank serves as Chief Financial Officer. John is a long-time career newspaperman who has been immersed in all facets of the business.
For the past 33 years, he has worked with News Media Corporation, a newspaper
company with dailies and weekly papers, most recently as Chief Operating Officer. Before that,
he served as Division Publisher for ten years overseeing publications in Illinois, Wyoming,
Arizona, and California.
Shank and his wife, Maria, have been married 28 years. They are the happy parents of three
adult sons and proud grandparents of a granddaughter who will be turning two next month. The Shanks call themselves long-suffering Chicago sports fans and enjoy returning to Wrigley Field when possible. They enjoy spending time at the beach, golf, bowling, pickleball, and bike rides, as well as walks with their Shih-poo, a cross between a Shih Tzu and a toy poodle.
Kurt Vantosky
President -Newspaper Group
John Shank
Chief Financial Officer
The Story behind D-R Media
D-R Media is an extension of a family newspaper business, Sun Coast Media Group, which was founded in 1976. Sun Coast was originally based on the west coast of Florida and gradually acquired papers in Highlands and Polk county. The daily paper based in Sarasota and Charlotte counties was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for its breaking news coverage of hurricane Charlie and a Pulitzer prize winner for its editorials on the deplorable conditions inside the state prison in Charlotte county.
In July 2018, Adams Publishing Group purchased the west coast operations of Sun Coast Media Group from the Dunn-Rankin family. David Dunn-Rankin purchased the Highlands and Polk county newspapers individually and started D-R Media.
In December of 2018, D-R Media purchased Sun Publications of Florida which had weekly papers in Polk, Lake, and Sumter counties. In November of 2020, D-R Media closed the newspaper printing plant it had purchased in December 2018.