Email
PrintThere’s a New Team in Town
This is my third month as publisher. It quickly became clear to me as I started into this process that the previous publishers, Mary and Stephanie, could not be replaced by one person, particularly by me.
My background is diverse. When I moved to New Jersey a year ago, I described myself as having 3.5 careers and now retired. In the past I have been a college faculty member, a union organizer for college faculty, an employee benefit business owner, and a mental health counselor. In those positions, I gained at least some of the experience and skills I would need to run a Natural Awakenings franchise. This did not mean I was the best person to fully implement those skills. Therefore, I am no longer retired, and I have sought out people to help me with the franchise.
One of the key positions in running the franchise is that of managing editor (ME). I was fortunate to find Kathy Tarbell for the post, who has 10 years of experience with NA franchises, both in managing editor and graphic design positions. Her ability to “herd cats in a hurricane” is a great asset as is her passion about all things alternative— health, thought, and energy—and her commitment to bringing the holistic and green movements into the mainstream.
I was also fortunate to have on staff a seasoned editor and writer whom I could promote to senior editor. Julie Peterson brings almost 30 years of experience as a writer and editor in various venues including environmental remediation, education, and sustainable practices. Her passion for composting, planting trees, and "random acts of kindness" is only matched by her eagerness to get the message out—every decision we make has a ripple effect, whether it effects Earth or the human race.
With these capable people running the magazine I can now focus on my strengths: sales and management. Assisting me in those efforts is the very capable Joe Dunne, our new marketing director, who brings almost 30 years of sales and sales management experience to our team. He started out in NYC in the business equipment industry, moved into the world of computers, and eventually, the financial world. His passion, however, is about green products and environmental issues. Joe makes his home in Somerset county. I hope all of you get to meet him.
The distribution process did not need anything new. It has been very capably managed by Jeff Hoenig (Sunshine Man Distribution) for several years. He manages almost 550 distribution sites in our three counties and coordinates a cadre of drivers each month to get the magazine to all of you on time. He is a true distribution expert, and also handles distribution for four other NA franchises.
Along with our new team, we have also adopted a new domain name: www.NaturalAwakeningsCNJ.com. We are dedicated to helping healthy and green businesses and professionals grow their businesses and in turn, establish the Natural Awakenings brand as a leader in the three NJ counties we serve.
I feel very fortunate to have this team of dedicated and talented professionals. The future is brighter, bigger, bolder, healthier, and more green. Together we can make a contribution to increased healthy living and the increased protection of our environment.
