natural awakenings spotlight

Fellow Travelers on the Path to Truth

We’re on a Mission!

For almost 30 years, Natural Awakenings franchises across the country have used a hybrid of top-shelf national content and a hyperlocal focus in a free publication to inform, educate and alert readers about contemporary issues of sustainability, personal health and social justice. John Voell II was one of the founders, and his son, John Voell III, with his wife Trina, began their journey with the Ann Arbor edition. They have expanded to Detroit-Wayne County, Grand Traverse Region and Greater Lansing because these crucial issues continue to affect and resonate with the public.

The Souls Behind the Scenes

Our staff are a hardworking lot, toiling on weekends, holidays, COVID -19 and vacations with none of the benefits one might expect, because they are all independent contractors. Their “business within a business” model allows us to keep overhead low, and with the help of our valued advertisers, stay in the black through rising production costs and turbulent times.

Martin Miron. Editor

Martin Miron is a professional journalist of 20 years, including associate editor of the Naples Daily News. His writing and editing have appeared in NAPC national POP files and he has produced the Global Briefs department for more than a decade.

An avid photographer, he enjoys good books and long walks on the beach, but seldom has the time to take them. Marty is committed to the mission of Natural Awakenings to inform and educate readers about healthy living topics and the stewardship of humanity.

Born in Detroit, he hitchhiked around the United States and Canada for two years as a hippie, looking for a place to escape. What he learned during that time was that people are naturally good and will give you the shirt off their back to help. Deciding on Florida, he moved from a city of 5 million to the rural Suwanee River and managed a food co-op in Gainesville.

Carolyn Coogan, Assistant to the Publishers

Carolyn’s early career has roots in health and wellness, and soon after graduating from Westfield State College, she began working in operations for a corporate fitness and wellness company in the Northeast. Subsequently, she has managed several businesses in various industries, including a short stint as owner and operator of her own small New Age gift shop. She shares more than 20 years of experience as a creative leader in business management, communications and design with us. Carolyn also published her own edition of Natural Awakenings magazine in New York state from 2013 until 2020, and her support for the mission of the magazine, combined with her attention to details and ongoing operational systems of publishing, make her an integral part of the team.

Theresa Archer, Calendars

The baby boy in the picture, my son Alex, is now a very energetic 7, and my most important job. I hold a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in music history and literature, as well as credits at the Ph.D. level for musicology and historical performance practice. I am a trained classical and baroque cellist and have worked for the Natural Awakenings franchises since 2008 in various editing roles. I also have recently started substituting as a special education paraeducator; it is difficult physically and mentally, but extremely rewarding. I love cooking, but hate doing the dishes.

I’m also a huge animal lover and have two dogs and two cats. I write down one thing I’m grateful for every day and place it in a jar—a practice I began in 2013 after the loss of my daughter Cecilia, in 2012. It reminds me on the difficult days of how blessed I am.

Randy Kambic, Proofreader

Randy Kambic, a freelance editor, writer and proofreader based in Fort Myers, Florida, has been providing these services for the Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation’s national editorial content and for local franchise publications around the country on a regular basis for nearly 15 years. He proofreads the Greater Ann Arbor, Detroit-Wayne County, Grand Traverse Region and Greater Lansing editions of the magazine. As a lifelong advocate for environmental protection and conservation and with a love of nature and wildlife, he brings a strong kinship for the magazine’s topics and passion for helping to spread helpful information and tips on healthy living. Further, he’s an avid tennis player, hiker and skier—especially from growing up and living in the northeast for most of his life—so he also is a proponent for all forms of exercising, as well as enjoying the outdoors.

Distribution Team

Last, and certainly not least, these awesome individuals are responsible for delivering Natural Awakenings magazines to hundreds of establishments throughout our community through rain, sleet and snow—JP Paucsh, Rachel Cara, Kathy Matteo, Steven Brembry, Gordon Kutella and Al Goree—and yes, publishers/owners John and Trina Voell are still out there bringing magazines to you as well.