PUBLISHER’S LETTER

THE TIME IS RIGHT

A trusted and valued employee earns more responsibility

Fourteen years ago, I encountered a young woman at Rowland Publishing’s “Best of Tallahassee” event and immediately was impressed by her enthusiasm for life and her infectious energy. I soon would discover that she had a strong desire to succeed professionally in the world of publishing.

She was prepared to begin at the entry level, and I brought her on board as a parttime accounting department employee responsible for collecting past-due amounts from slow-paying customers. I was certain that she would quickly advance beyond that role.

Within a week, she saw to it that many accounts had been made current or that customers had agreed to payment plans — plans that she closely monitored.

Upon her graduation from Florida State, she came to me seeking more responsibility. I was delighted.

Without hesitation, I moved her into a full-time customer service position and soon discovered that she had a knack for sales, a field of endeavor that is in many ways an extension of customer service.

As years passed and Rowland Publishing grew, she grew with the company and became a key employee. I made her sales manager, and she helped our outstanding team of sales professionals achieve new levels of success while establishing herself as a company leader and lending me invaluable administrative support.

If I-10 or State Highway 20 between Tallahassee and points west need resurfacing, she is a big part of the reason. While a Tallahassee resident, she made countless trips between the capital city and the Emerald Coast, where she hosted events, got to know community leaders and so immersed herself in the community that many people assumed she lived there.

In Tallahassee, many of her mornings began at 5. She led classes at a fitness studio before arriving at the office to do all that she could to support fellow employees and advance the interests of the company. She devoted many evenings to attending events sponsored by Rowland Publishing or helping to stage our own events, including Top Salons and Top Singles. She traveled to wedding shows as a representative of our Northwest Florida Weddings Magazine.

Never have I seen her in a bad mood. Our relationship always has been grounded in respect and professionalism. Several years ago, I promoted her to vice president/corporate development.

In that role, she developed and launched our digital marketing department and assembled numerous integrated marketing packages for clients, including the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation/Guy Harvey Enterprises. We are especially proud of our association with Guy Harvey, and she was an indispensable part of bringing that relationship about.

No matter the calamity that befalls us, be it a hurricane, recession, oil spill or pandemic, she is an unwavering pillar at Rowland Publishing who always sees the glass as half full. Especially over the past year, she has worked to stay in touch with our customers and to extend them the understanding they needed when their businesses were dramatically affected by COVID-19. She genuinely cares for each member of our team and all of our clients.

Like countless other businesses, we have been buffeted by the worst pandemic our country has experienced in more than 100 years, and throughout, she more than anyone else has kept our ship upright and on course.

At all levels, she has excelled — and she has more rungs to climb. She has developed and burnished a reputation as a woman of influence in the region. For many, she is the face of Rowland Publishing.

Rowland Publishing and I are immensely proud and honored to have McKenzie Burleigh as a leader in our company and in the pivotal role as the integrator on our senior leadership team. She is well on her way to mastering every aspect of the publishing business.

The time is right for Kenzie to become Rowland Publishing’s associate publisher and to assume an even greater role in shaping each issue of our magazines. As part of her new responsibilities, she will be writing columns that will appear in this space.

Without question, Rowland Publishing would not be the company it is today without the efforts of McKenzie Burleigh. Her future and the future of the company are bright, and the Emerald Coast will be a better place to live because of her passion and dedication.

Take good care,

BRIAN ROWLAND PUBLISHER

browland@rowlandpublishing.com