I can hardly believe that this month marks my 30th anniversary with Delaware Today. What an amazing—and fast—three decades it’s been.
My family bought the magazine in November 1981, and at the ripe old age of 25, I was named publisher. I credit my father for thinking I could actually pull it off, especially since I had graduated from law school—and not journalism school— only a few years earlier. I owe my dad a debt of thanks.
I was lucky. In 1981 the Financial Center Development Act had passed, and out-of-state banks were headquartering in Delaware. More than 35,000 new financial services jobs were created, and the state was thriving. It was a good time for us to provide residents with a trusted, local and visually engaging magazine.
But I certainly didn’t do it alone. It takes talented people with integrity and commitment to create great magazines. Our team cares about quality and service, and I’ve been fortunate to work with gifted editors, art directors, sales and marketing professionals and others who manage day-to-day operations. Teamwork has garnered Delaware Today three General Excellence awards from the City and Regional Magazine Association, as well as numerous local and national editorial awards.
We believe in giving back to the community that supports us. While we produce five major events a year, our signature event, the Best of Delaware party, has raised money for local charities. We also partner with many more groups throughout the year to help them publicize their organizations and events.
We’ve all been challenged by the recession, but our team looks with great optimism toward the future. We are in the midst of a company-wide transformation, and our goal is to become the most valued community resource in print and on the Internet. Our efforts are materializing already: Delaware Today is now delivered via your computer or iPad; our Web site offers magazine content and Web exclusives; DT’s Facebook page is booming with more than 5,000 friends; and our dining and entertainment e-newsletters are sent to 40,000 readers every month.
In April 2012, Delaware Today will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Our publication is one of the oldest, independently owned local magazines in the country. Stay tuned. We have exciting plans for our 50-year bash as well as the April issue.
Delaware is my home. It’s an amazing place because of the amazing people who live here. This month’s cover story features one of them. Jennifer Behm made international headlines in August when she won the title of America’s MasterChef on one of the country’s most popular television shows. And news about Jen doesn’t stop with the magazine. Visit delawaretoday.com for her Thanksgiving recipes.
On behalf of all of us at Delaware Today, I thank you for your support. You have made these past 30 years truly rewarding, and I look forward to providing you with a product that gets better every year.
Drew Meeting Jen Behm during her finale viewing party at the Columbus Inn was a real treat. She is as nice as she is beautiful and my kids were thrilled with the autographed photos.
Kelly I have not laughed so much on a photo shoot as I did on the cover and feature shoot for the Jennifer Behm story. She is one of those people who are so easy to be around, you feel like you’ve known her for years.
Louise So you probably noticed the Jennifer Behm theme of this issue! It started out that only a few of us obsessive food show-watchers (one of them being me) were catching Jen each week on “MasterChef.” Then more of the department started to watch the show until we had the entire editorial staff on the Jennifer Behm train—and what a ride! Jen, it was a pleasure watching you win (especially beating Christian), it was a pleasure working with you on the cover photo shoot and well, you’re just an all-around pleasure to be around. I wish you all the best and am waiting to see all the great things you will do—because I know you’ll go far!
Mark I’m a weather geek, so it was with great interest that I watched the development of Hurricane Irene. Floyd in 1999 seemed to do more damage, though the pre-storm warnings haven’t been so intense since Gloria in 1985. I think we’re all glad this one didn’t turn out to be as bad as feared. It was bad enough. To all those who resented the travel restrictions and other official preparations, imagine if there had been no precautions, but a worse storm. Let’s count our blessings and remain prudent.
Jared This month I got to shoot PGA golfer Mike Tobiason Jr. He was super-cool. He told me what it was like to play in the U.S. Open, which was cool, since I know my 15-handicap swing will never get me there. 🙁
Katie I recently caught the 30th anniversary show of one of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters—Marshall Crenshaw—at the World Cafe Live at the Queen. I’ve seen him perform more than a few times, but this time I couldn’t help but remember my first time. It was 30 years ago at The Brandywine Club in Chadds Ford, just over the state line, near Christie’s Corner. The Brandywine Club’s been gone for many years. If you want to share any memories of old music venues (keep them in or close to Delaware), email me at kmccabe@delawaretoday.com. And be sure to let me know if I’ve spelled “Christie’s” correctly!