As I prepared to write this column, I reviewed what I had written a year ago for the 2008 Choice Employers issue. The gist of the column was a list of all the great things about SBJ Publishing that I believed kept our talented, hard working staff coming back day after day.
I confidently described what I considered to be an above-average health benefits package, a generous leave time policy, a commitment to ongoing professional development, and an overall attitude and atmosphere of creativity. I mean, why would anyone ever want to leave?
I now find myself looking at the company and our valued staff through a slightly different lens. It's a lens that has seen the most significant economic downturn in my lifetime. It is also a lens that has seen the comings and goings of some incredible SBJ team members.
Inaugural Web Editor Dee Dee Jacobs left SBJ for a position with CoxHealth in August. Her contribution to the growth and evolution of sbj.net will have lasting impact. Her departure, however, brought unexpected opportunities for other valued staff members.
Reporter Jeremy Elwood was promoted to Web editor and stepped into the position without missing a beat. His fresh perspective and enthusiasm for the new challenges ahead will take sbj.net up a notch at yet another pivotal time in its development.
Elwood's vacated reporter's spot created an opportunity for SBJ to bring new editorial talent on board for the first time in more than three years, as one previously vacated reporter's position wasn't filled as the company looked for ways to reduce overhead.
The search to fill Elwood's reporter slot search turned up our newest Springfield staff member, Jennifer Muzinic. She's no stranger to the newsroom, having worked as a television news producer and former SBJ freelance writer. Muzinic came to the SBJ editorial department seeking a new challenge and a more livable work schedule.
Even as she came aboard, Reporter Matt Wagner announced his plans to pursue a new opportunity with Springfield-based accounting firm BKD LLP, beginning Nov. 4.
I can't imagine a time when we won't miss Wagner and his bylines, but Editor Eric Olson already has met with a number of intriguing and talented candidates for the position.
SBJ's sister publication, Joplin Tri-State Business Journal also has seen its share of changes in 2009. Founding Editor Jeff Wells left the publication in August to continue his education in history and embark on a new marriage. I don't think any of us at SBJ Publishing can imagine those first issues of JTBJ without the vision and strong leadership that he brought to the table.
However, Wells' departure opened the door for Editor Chris Roberts, who spent a couple of years as a reporter for that publication. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience during the last couple of months to see Roberts embrace his new position with such enthusiasm. One of his first contributions was hiring his replacement, Doug Graham, a reporter and photographer. Fresh from college, Graham is grateful for the opportunity to prove himself. He's enthusiastic about assignments. He's eager to learn, and because he knows about much of the latest technology, Graham's got a great deal to teach us, too.
Likewise, Cindy Sundy, Whitney Warren and Gale Fulton brought expanded opportunity to the JTBJ advertising department. Since its inception, JTBJ has always employed a sales team of one while trying to provide adequate coverage and exceptional service to the entire tri-state region. We feel extremely fortunate to have been able to attract three experienced and diverse salespeople to move forward with longtime advertisers and to those we have not yet had the pleasure of working with.
Now, as I reflect on the past year and look ahead, I have a new appreciation for change and the opportunities it brings.
Perhaps it is change that defines us as choice employers. Without change, we have no place for talented staff to grow and limited opportunity for the influx of fresh talent. I believe that Springfield Business Journal and Joplin Tri-State Business Journal will continue to attract the very best of the best. Some will stay and some will go, and all will leave their marks. And it will continue to be the people - more so than the insurance, the time off and the paychecks - that make us great.
Is your company ready to embrace change for opportunities, too? I'm confident that the following stories of these 20 honored companies will help you answer that question and even provide solutions.
Jennifer Jackson is chief operations officer of SBJ Publishing Inc. She may be reached at jjackson@sbj.net.
