| Vermont Woman — Spanning 34 Years, 1985 to 2019 |
| by Sue Gillis, Publisher |
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When a community loses a newspaper, a little bit of its soul goes with it.
A good paper serves to connect its readers, to provide a public forum for different opinions, to profile as many community members as possible, and to provide a venue for businesses to reach the best market for their goods and services. A newspaper’s editorial content should inform, inspire, and educate, bringing public awareness to issues of concern and highlighting achievements. And from time to time, a good paper should agitate and infuriate.
As a women’s advocacy publication, Vermont Woman published Vermont women’s points of view on issues ranging from the arts, aging, business, education, and the environment to finance, health, politics, relationships, and sports. We set out to bring women’s opinions and voices shedding transparency on every male-dominated institution, shining a glaring light on the inequities suffered by women.
We did not cover fashion, diets, or hairdos. And we rarely included men’s viewpoints, as they were already massively covered in the dominant male-owned and -staffed media, locally, regionally, and nationwide. We wanted to be provocative and take on some tough topics, such as the politics of breast cancer prevention, women and AIDS, domestic violence in Vermont, the trans community, women in prison, and incest survivors —while, at the same time, spotlighting women’s challenges, achievements, and breakthroughs.
Finally, Vermont Woman editors brashly conducted and published opinion surveys, made political endorsements, and took an editorial stand on relevant issues that affected women—most specifically but not limited to work, education, money, health, politics, sexuality, relationships, and family. Vermont Woman was created to be a player in the Vermont media mix, to publicly connect women to one another and to those who had the power to effect change. |
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The Vermont Woman Lecture Series brought in nationally known women speakers such as Jehan Sadat, Helen Thomas, Valerie Plame Wilson, Eleanor Clift, Ann Richards and the legendary feminist writer Gloria Steinem (twice). And Vermont Woman won multiple industry awards for our writers, photographers and for General Excellence and top honor three times as New England Newspaper of the Year.
It truly takes a huge dose of dedication and unbridled passion to create and sustain a newspaper, no matter how small or how large or how frequent. It is a testament to the women behind Vermont Woman, from its founders, staff, photographers, and writers to its advertisers and to the state of Vermont, that Vermont Woman has thrived for so many years.
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Rickey Gard Diamond
Editor 1985-1987 and 2011-2014
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Deborah Alden
Editor 2003-2004
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Margaret Michniewicz
Editor 2004-2011
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Kate Mueller
Editor 2015-present
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Jan Doerler
Creative Director 2003-present
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The Editors
We are grateful for our Vermont Woman editors: founding editor Rickey Gard Diamond (1985–1987), (2011-2014); Michele Patenaude (1987–1989); Gaye Hanson (1989–1990); Deb Alden (2003–2004); and Margaret Michniewicz (2004–2011). Margaret has been by my side working on all four publications I founded: Vermont Woman (1985), Vermont Times, Provincetown Banner, and the second Vermont Woman (2003). Kate Mueller, current editor (2015–2019), has expertly navigated Vermont Woman through to its end. |
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Awards
The first time Vermont Woman was awarded New England Newspaper of the Year in 2007, I spontaneously gushed into tears. I wept for women everywhere, as they are so rarely acknowledged for excellence. The entire room erupted into a standing ovation, with audible yelps heard especially from the attending women. Oh, what a night! It was an honor for me to be inducted into the NENPA Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2010, but nothing will ever come close to that night.
Creative Art Director, Production Director & Photographer
No content is read and no awards are won without design excellence. A big cheer for Jan Doerler our founding creative director (2003). Jan professionally designed every Vermont Woman issue (2003–2019.) She expertly created a format to best showcase ads, editorial, and photographs, with crisp design details and elements, making for easy readership. Jan also oversaw production, and along with her assistant Chris Reilly, she generously worked long hours, weekends, and holidays to get the paper to press on time. And as if that wasn’t enough, Jan and Margaret took most of the photos and loved meeting so many fascinating Vermont women.
Sales, Writers, Administrators & Circulation
A big grateful toot! toot! to our ad saleswomen, including Betsy Gentile, Sandy Stones, Ellen Shapiro, and Judy Scheer, and to all our writers and photographers; our editorial, production, and administrative assistants; and our distributors, the Bouffard brothers. |
Ecstatic publisher Sue Gillis hold the
first NEPA top honor win in 2007.
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Big winners at the New England Press Association 2008 –Newspaper of the Year top honor
as well as many awards for writing and photography (from left) Margaret Michniewicz, editor.;
Sue Gillis, publisher; and Jan Doerler, creative director. Vermont Woman won the top honor three times.
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Founding staff of Vermont Woman 1985 (L. to R. first row): Betsy Gentile, ad sales; Michelle Patenaude, assistant editor.
(back row from left): Mandy Hotchkiss, ad sales; Rickey Gard Diamond, editor; Sue Gillis, publisher; and Barbara Lies, ad sales.
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First staff of Vermont Woman, second incarnation 2003 (L. to R. first row): Jan Doerler, creative director; Deborah Alden, editor;
Sue Gillis, publisher; Margaret Michniewicz, managing editor. (back row from left) Sandy Stones and Nissa Weisser, ad sales;
Barbara Dozetos, assistant editor; and Trina Hikel, contributing writer and columnist.
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Founders
To our founders—those who believed in me and believed in the value of Vermont Woman and generously helped to launch and sustain us—Vermont Woman never would have happened without you: Mary Abele, Jane C. Beck, Geri Bloomberg, Stephanie Buck, Donna Carpenter, Barbara Cate, Kim Ireland, Crea Lintilhac, Robin Lloyd, Happy Patrick, Ray Pecor, Susan Z. Ritz, Wilda Routhier, Lisa Steele, Mary Ann Carlson, Ethan Sims, Sallie Soule, Laura Twitchell, Lola Van Wagenen, and Barbara Whittemore.
It truly takes a huge dose of dedication and unbridled passion to create and sustain a newspaper, no matter how small or how large or how frequent. Congratulations to those mentioned in addition to so many more, who gave Vermont Woman their best before moving on to other challenging professions. I am very proud to be associated with you, both personally and professionally.
Thank you to all of you who helped Vermont Woman all though these years to triumphantly succeed and to our peers in the press who have bestowed so many awards and recognition for general excellence. 
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Sue Gillis is the Publisher of Vermont Woman.
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