Former Sports Hall of Fame employees start magazine

Yearack, former vice president of operations, and Gilmore, former associate director of sponsorship development, join publisher Larry D. Renken as founders of Boomer magazine, a quarterly publication geared toward baby boomers.

Renken formed Boomer Publishing LLC in mid-July, and brought on Yearack as editor and Gilmore as publicist following their mid-August resignations from the Hall of Fame. The trio plans to premier the magazine in early December.

“There’s a market for what we’re doing and a need for what we’re doing,” Yearack said, citing the Census Bureau’s tally of 78 million baby boomers. “We’re going to zero in.”

The publishing company operates out of the Commerce Terrace building at Sunshine Street and Enterprise Avenue. The three owners serve as the core staff, Yearack said, but the team will grow to between five and 10 employees, with a portion of the work done by free-lance writers and graphic designers. Yearack didn’t put a figure on startup costs.

Magazine coverage will range from retirement planning and elder care to lifestyle matters such as health, paying for children’s educations, travel and housing options.

The first issue of Boomer is complimentary and will go to about 90,000 people in Missouri and surrounding states, according to Renken. A subscription price will come later, he said.

In addition to those mailed copies, there are plans to distribute the magazine throughout southwest Missouri to waiting rooms and offices, Yearack said. A Web site is under development at www.missouriboomer.com.

The rest is up to Gilmore, who is in charge of marketing the magazine to both potential readers and advertisers.

So far, national advertisers have been the most responsive to the publication, particularly in automotive manufacturing and lawn care, Renken said, adding that the spectrum of companies that cater to the boomer crowd is wide.

“Boomers are the big movers and shakers right now in our society, making the big decisions – and all that wealth,” Yearack added.

About 28 percent of the U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The demographic spends roughly $2.1 trillion a year, Renken said.

Hall of Fame shakeup

A third employee has moved on this summer.

Former administrative Assistant Stephanie Lawson resigned at the same time as Yearack and Gilmore.

Hall of Fame President and Executive Director Jerald Andrews declined to comment on specific personnel or their reasons for leaving.

“The folks that were here, they did a good job, and we wish them the best as they move on into other ventures,” he said, adding that a couple of people have since been hired to the six-member team, and he expects to hire at least two more. “We have some good people that are here, and they’ve stepped up and filled the gap, and we’re moving forward well.”

Yearack, who was at the hall for seven years, says he felt his career was headed in a different direction than the Hall of Fame.

“The reason I left was not personal; it was kind of a philosophical difference,” he said. “The people I met there and worked with were wonderful. It was a privilege to be there.”

Gilmore also said she was moving in a different direction and was sad to leave close co-workers and sponsors behind.

“It was just time to move on,” she said. “I think when three people leave, that kind of tells a story in and of itself.”

Lawson worked at the Hall of Fame for more than two years and opted to take a part-time accounting position at Elite Promotions, where she can work fewer hours and spend more time with her family.