Publisher’s Desk
Goodbye
It's time for me to say goodbye. I've had a wonderful run here at Governing, and in my previous career with its parent, Congressional Quarterly Inc. But if you're a board member in our company, the rule is that you must retire from any executive position when you reach 65.
The reaction of many friends to that rule is very negative. It's out of date, they say — 65 isn't what it used to be. Well, I respectfully disagree. In the media business, change is coming so fast that even small enterprises such as ours must be run by people who can master it.
I am not the one to do that, but fortunately we have two young, bright and talented individuals who now assume responsibility for the future of Governing.
Our new publisher is Beth Bronder, a nine-year veteran in advertising sales here, who then joined Unisys as a marketing director before returning to our company as Congressional Quarterly's vice president for advertising. Her stunning success in that position made her an obvious candidate for the job.
Mark Stencel, who already was a key leader here in charge of our Web site, as well as our technology columnist, will be our new editor and deputy publisher. Mark spent more than a decade with the Washington Post, in important positions at the newspaper and the company's online interactive division.
Both of these positions require vision, creativity and focus. Both also increasingly call for another key ingredient that many state and local leaders can relate to — an ability to integrate the effort. That means ensuring that Governing is not viewed as just a magazine but as an enterprise that can communicate with its audience on paper, on screen, in conferences or at roundtable discussions.
This wasn't the challenge when we started out almost 21 years ago. But it is today. Fortunately, Beth and Mark will be able to rely on two of my career-long colleagues who remain on the job: Elder Witt, who basically has run much of the organization, including our conference division, during my tenure, and Alan Ehrenhalt, who has been the executive editor of the magazine for most of its history.
I'll hang around to write a column, do some speaking, and offer some advice now and then, although I doubt it will be needed. Governing is in very good hands.
Peter Harkness is editor and publisher emeritus of Governing.