I think it’s important — and well-deserved — every year or two to recognize the people whobring you BedTimes. There are six women, along with me, who manage the editorial, advertising and circulation functions of our magazine, which is published monthly and has a strong social media presence. The same full-time staff also creates our sister publication, Sleep Savvy.
Putting together 20 magazines a year takes focus, conviction, skill, creativity, quick thinking and a healthy sense of humor. Here’s a brief introduction to the women who work their magic to deliver these pages to you:
• Kerri Bellias, vice president of sales, is responsible for the advertising you see here. An experienced magazine advertising professional, Kerri brings grace and persistence to this critical position.
• Managing ad contracts, deadlines, materials and myriad other ad-related tasks is Julie Lewis Dossey, our ad production and sales coordinator. Her organizational skills and attention to detail help keep the magazines running smoothly.
• On the editorial side, Barbara T. Nelles oversees our cyber efforts, thus her title content manager and digital editor. She has seemingly boundless knowledge of the mattress industry and an unyielding pursuit of perfection.
• Managing editor Beth English, a veteran journalist and editor, complements the team with her insightful writing, strong editorial intuition, congenial manner and a willingness to lend a hand whenever and wherever needed.
• Stephanie Belcher is our creative director, who never ceases to bring seemingly nonvisual stories to life. Not only does she find ways to illustrate the focus of a story, she also helps with advertising, planning and more.
• And there is our steadfast circulation manager, Mary Rulli, who masterfully manages our readers’ accounts. Her dedication to making sure subscribers receive their magazines in a regular and timely manner reminds us why we are here in the first place: to meet the needs and interests of our readers. After all, it doesn’t matter how hard we work on an issue if our readers don’t receive it.
• No proper holiday message of appreciation would be complete without mention of our freelancers. Cindy Sheaffer proofreads our magazines after they’ve shipped to the printer. Think of it as last call before ink hits the paper. I’m so grateful for — and often appalled by — the mistakes she finds.
• Gary James and Julie A. Palm are BedTimes’ top freelance writers. With impeccable journalistic instincts and writing talents, combined with their industry experience, they know how to zero in on the topics that matter the most to bedding manufacturers and suppliers.
I respect my co-workers for their publishing acumen. But more important, the friendships we’ve developed and nurtured make me thankful.
From our staff to yours, we wish you a happy holiday season.
