Gary Dillard's Career Spans Journalism, Mining Industry Coverage, and Bisbee History
Gary Dillard, born in Cochise County in 1953, has had a multifaceted career primarily focused on journalism and local history, particularly in Bisbee, Arizona. After initially studying nuclear engineering at the University of Arizona, he transitioned to journalism, having previously served as sports editor for the Bisbee Daily Review in high school. His early career saw him as sports editor of the Sierra Vista Herald and later editor of the Bisbee Review. He was instrumental in merging these papers into a combined daily. In 1980, Dillard joined PAY DIRT, a news magazine covering the Arizona mining industry, where he contributed to expanding its regional editions and co-created a special edition commemorating a century of Phelps Dodge's presence in the copper industry. Following a recession in the mid-1980s, he briefly worked in Phoenix editing a construction magazine before returning to his roots in Bisbee, editing local newspapers and eventually rejoining PAY DIRT. His work also included writing a centenn...
