There may be some of you that I haven’t met yet… I’m élite Magazine’s new Associate Publisher Amanda Benson. It’s very nice to meet you!
I’m ecstatic about my first issue with élite and can’t wait for you to start turning the pages…but slowly, because I don’t want you to miss a thing! Here’s why I’m so excited; I love the new sleek look and changes to the layout our team has come up with. We’ve changed our Features to Spotlights, our Profiles to Closeups along with a few others you may notice.
One of the major changes is our name. Did you see it on the cover? We’ve added Interactive Media, which gives us the ability to add enhancements to our digital magazine, provide social media exposure for our readers and support for our advertisers. Check us out on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest!
Our cover is sporting a new look with a great story about education in our community, spotlighting our local superintendents and many of the amazing schools out here. We have student Success Stories with one even tying into our Ask the Experts.
We’ve been gearing up for the Dancing With Our Stars event, and it’s finally August which means it’s showtime! This year, we’re sure to go over the million-dollar mark for our local non-profit organizations. Hope to see you all there!
We are also introducing two new contributing writers, Claudia Sheridan and Mark Groves. Claudia is writing for our new section, #BeSocial, page 24 informing us on the latest in social media and Mark will give us his take on relationships on page 37. Mark is relevant, smart, funny and a bit edgy. I’ve been following him on Instagram for over a year now, so I am thrilled to have him be a part of élite!
I am looking forward to incorporating social media into our magazine, growing our online community and helping support our advertisers. My goal is to keep our readers informed on the latest in social media and share some helpful tips and tricks.
It was fun announcing the Ultimate Dining winners to the business owners and managers. They were all thrilled and extremely thankful for the award, especially after learning they won by your votes! Our valley is built on relationships and community support and we were happy to present them with their plaques. Check out pages 44 and 45 where you can see the award winners and the joy they had in their faces! Don’t let the voting stop because this month we are pleased to announce the first ever Ultimate Ladies in Business Awards! Your votes matter, so let the leading ladies shine!
You may have guessed my other favorite part of the magazine is spread out on pages 78 to 81. It’s all about the wine! What? It’s no secret I’m a fan of the fermented grape! Read about the successful vineyard of Academy Award Winner Joel Cox and his award winning wine or take a peek into some of élite homes, showcasing their cozy bars or flourishing vineyards. Thank you to the homeowners for opening up your private tasting rooms to us! I hope this gives you a little inspiration to set up a little wine nook or maybe plant a vineyard. If you do, be sure to call me!
I am so thankful to Linda and Moe for bringing me on board to participate in all this fun! It’s been great getting to know our loyal advertisers and exciting meeting new ones, telling them all about our changes. This issue of élite Magazine wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for all the support we have received. As you (slowly) turn the pages, please spend some time looking over our advertisers’ ads. We spent a lot of time working with our clients and are proud to have them part of the élite family. If you visit any of their establishments, be sure you tell them you “saw it in élite!”.
Each issue is going to get thicker and better which means more fun for all of us here at élite Magazine. I know, I know, you’re going to be on pins and needles waiting for the next issue!
Cheers!
Amanda Benson