As with the revolution in Iran and the earthquake in Haiti, it hit Twitter first: Martha Holmberg, editor of the Oregonian's FoodDay section and its glossy magazine, MIX, is leaving for greener (and no doubt more sustainable) pastures.
Martha gave me my one of my first writing breaks when she asked for volunteers to write short blurbs about what's in season at their local farmers' market. Which evolved into a two-year stint writing the Market Watch column for FoodDay, with Martha encouraging, (kindly) criticizing and urging me to kick it up a notch. Which then led to features for her publications and others around the region and a new career as a writer, for which I am eternally grateful.
She's leaving after turning the section into a feature-driven bright spot in the paper every Tuesday. According to local restaurant critic FoodDude at Portland Food & Drink, she'll be leaving the paper in mid-February and join the Portland PR firm Watershed Communications in April as an editorial director, building a content division, though she'll also continue to consult on MIX.
Good luck, Martha, and thanks for all you've done for me and for the Portland food scene.
Photo by Beth Nakamura for the Oregonian.
Considering the uncertainty of the journalism landscape these days, sounds like a good move on her part. Now what happens with FoodDay? An integral part of many peoples lives, I hope it doesn't fall into an abyss.
ReplyDeleteFoodDay's very able assistant editor, Katherine Miller, is taking the helm at FD, and Martha will be consulting/exec. editing MIX, so it looks like a win-win from here!
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