Macon Magazine

1 2 | M A C O N M A G A Z I N E A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 A Heartfelt Farewell How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. – Winnie the Pooh Eighteen years ago, in late summer, we became owners of Macon Magazine. So, it's only fitting that now, in late summer, we are saying goodbye. Macon Magazine isn't going anywhere. We've passed the torch to a new owner, Susannah Maddux. She will do an amazing job and raise Macon Magazine to the next level. We've known Susannah for many years since she first moved to Macon. She has worked with the magazine in many different ways since then and has been a vital part of this community in her former job as owner of Goods Public Relations. She is creative, smart, determined and truly loves Macon as much as we do. As more than one friend has said, she's the perfect person to lead this publication to the next level. It's also important to know we're leaving things in the talented, experienced hands of Erika Burks, Renee Corwine and Beth Wilson. They all play key roles in making Macon Magazine what it is. And there is a core group of writers and photographers who will continue to make the content shine. We couldn't have done this without them – as they all know! We're looking forward to finding out what life is like when it's not filled with deadlines. Counting our time working for various newspapers, it's almost 40 years of facing looming deadlines. It's time for a break. We leave happily, knowing we have helped fill a needed niche in our community. Macon Magazine always has been about telling the good Macon stories and celebrating the good Macon life. It will continue to do so. Personally, beyond providing our livelihood for almost two decades, the magazine has provided us the opportunity to meet fascinating people and make many good friends; it's truly beyond our ability to express what that means to us. We have loved every minute of it. And at this point, it would be appropriate to single out all EDITORIAL those people who've helped us along the way. But beyond thanking Lynn Cass and Joni Woolf, the magazine's visionary founders, for providing us the opportunity to own such a vital part of Macon's media landscape, there are simply too many to thank. We don't want to leave someone out. So, let us say this: If you're reading this, thank you. Thanks to all of our advertisers, subscribers and readers. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Macon and your lives. Because of you, Macon Magazine continues, now in its 32nd year, to celebrate the good life. We're so happy we could be part of that celebration for so many years, and we will continue to be part of it, just in different ways. And one final note before we go. The most valuable lesson we've learned in doing this job is this: We are all in this together. From north Macon to south Macon, east Macon to west Macon, to our now vibrant downtown, we all must work together if we want our community to be as strong as it can be. We've come a long way, but much work remains. Let's shoulder the burden together. Because we're convinced that for this magazine, for this community and for us – the best is yet to come. With much love and many, many thanks, James and Jodi James and Jodi Palmer m Pictured above: Jodi and James Palmer 2018 (Photo by Maryann Bates), Jodi Palmer and Susannah Maddux 2013.

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