A year ago, I wrote my Letter from The General Manager about new beginnings and embracing new possibilities. As I reflect back on this past year at Town&Gown, I am proud of all the hard work the staff has put in to producing such a quality magazine.
In 2018, we completed a reader survey to update our demographics and gather feedback from the community. We upgraded our distribution to guarantee a 99 percent monthly pickup rate. Editorially, we highlighted our diverse community and the wonderful people, businesses, and organizations that make Happy Valley such a great place to live, work, and play.
When I began this chapter of my career at Barash Media 12 years ago, I never imagined that I would have the privilege to become general manager of this wonderful organization. I had the good fortune to work alongside a talented group of people at Town&Gown and The Centre County Gazette. I wore a lot of hats along the way, learning invaluable skills in editorial, advertising, sales, and leadership. It has been an incredible experience and I am truly grateful for everyone who has guided me during this journey. I also want to thank all our loyal advertisers and readers who continue to support high-quality, community print publications.
After more than a decade on the other side of College Avenue, I am excited to return to my alma mater and begin a new chapter as a writer and editor for Penn State Teaching & Learning with Technology. I am looking forward to sharing stories of how Penn Staters are using emerging technologies in the classroom and paving the way for a better future.
Although I am stepping away as the general manager of Barash Media, I am blessed to have the opportunity to continue a role with Town&Gown as an editorial contributor and consultant. I will work closely with editorial director Mark Brackenbury on editorial content for Town&Gown, continue to write my Taste of the Month column, and coordinate the Lunch with Mimi feature.
As we look ahead to the next 365 days, I know that Town&Gown is in good hands with our new publisher, Bernie Oravec, a State College resident who spent 10 years as publisher of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette. He will continue the mission to produce quality publications with stories that make a difference in this community.
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