Editor’s Letter James

s 2021 comes to a close and this issue comes to full fruition—it’s in your hands now, the articles and photography are live, marketing engaged, and the bills paid to make it all happen—I’d like to take this space to thank the many individuals and groups that have made this year a very good one for our publication and company. You can cue the cliches because I might use a few.

First and foremost, the support of you, our readers, continues to inspire us—even push us—to be better with each issue. It’s not easy. It can be downright difficult to develop fresh ideas year over year (I’ve been doing this for 20), but our communities, our people, the voices we hear, and the conversations that I, and each What’s Up? Media employee, have day in and day out are what keep the turbines running in our heads and generate the magazines we love to produce. So, thank you!

Equally important and another driving force that energizes our company—keeps it running really—are the many dedicated clients that you see and learn about on these very pages. Without advertiser support (and you supporting them), our publication may not have made it to year 25 (big celebration coming in 2022!). But here we are, and many of our clients have been with us for the full ride. In fact, in this issue, we dedicate a very special section “Faces of the Chesapeake” to the companies and leaders that devote themselves to their communities as much as they have in supporting What’s Up? Media. A huge shout out to them; Thank you!

Of course, 25 years doesn’t happen without steadfast, creative, and caring leadership. Veronica Tovey founded this publication in 1997 and despite the challenges of two national recessions, this recent pandemic, and the myriad complexities of developing and maintaining a thriving publishing company, our Publisher and President never wavered from a mindset of success. At least, not that I’ve seen firsthand. Whenever we face a challenge, she always says she thinks of us as “the little engine that could” and that “somehow we’ll find a way to make it work.” And in all the years, I can’t say she’s ever been wrong on those points. Thank you, Veronica, for steering our ship through ebb tides and flood.

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Leadership guides our mission to foster community through our products. Working hands-on to make this magazine possible— and all our media production, which now includes events, digital content, and ancillary publications—is our staff. Ashley Lyons, Kathy Sauve, and August Schwartz have been with our company for more than a decade (almost two actually) and have developed as leaders themselves, guiding their departments as Chief Operating Officer, Senior Account Executive, and Art Director. Ambitious, passionate, and creative are a few superlatives that come to mind. (And I’d be remiss to not mention our longtime and former Special Events Director Melanie Quinn, who took our events production to new heights, while laying a great foundation to build upon.) Thanks to each of you for your dedication!

Our full-time and contracted staff whose hard work is within this very magazine and everything that our company creates has got to be one of the best versions of itself in many years. We’ve weathered the pandemic together; worried together; adapted and thrived together; and continue to grow together. Matt D’Adamo and Lauren Ropel’s creativity is on full display on each page of this magazine; their graphic design skills rock. Ditto for Arden Haley’s digital, web, and social media prowess (she’s also a dynamite photographer) and Megan Kotelchuck’s knack for always doing such a darn-good job on her editorial projects (which includes the endless pursuit of all things fun as Entertainment Editor). Thank you.

Debbie Carta, Beth Kuhl, Nina Peake, and Michelle Roe foster the relationships with our clients—the advertisers you see on these colorful pages—often guiding them through the wondrous possibilities and even uncertainties of the complex arena we call marketing. And Production Manager Nicholas Gullotti streamlines it all, ensuring a smooth production cycle every month. Thank you. To Dennie Mercer, Kristen Awad, and Heather Teat, thank you for keeping our books, records, and everyday responsibilities in tip-top shape—they’re the gears of financial and administrative machination so essential to the company running smoothly.

The photography (thank you to Staff Photographer Steve Buchanan, as well as Larry French, Tony Lewis, Jr., and Wil Scott, among many talented others) and written words (thank you Ines Alicea, Janice Booth, Rita Calvert, Kelsey Casselbury, Mark Croatti, Kathi Ferguson, Lisa Gotto, Lisa Hillman, Jeff Holland, Gary Jobson, Lisa Lewis, Anne McNulty, Ellen Moyer, Dylan Roche, Frederick Schultz, Kat Spitzer, Tom Worgo, and many excellent writers) are my bread and butter as the editor. And it’s been a hoot putting together this December issue…and this year’s magazines (and this century’s, so far, for that matter!). But, as you can see, there are oh-so-many individuals and personalities that contribute to our success. It truly takes a village to raise this publication.

Thank you, happy holidays, and may the best cliches be with you this season!

James Houck,

Editorial Director