Alabama Heritage magazine has named Rebecca Todd Minder as its new director and Susan E. Reynolds as editor. Co-published by The University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the Alabama Department of Archives and History, Alabama Heritage is the state's only history magazine and has gained national recognition, receiving numerous awards for its editorial, design, and digital media since its inception in 1986. The appointments were made after the retirement of previous Editor-in-Chief Donna Baker.
As director, Minder, who began with the magazine in 2012, will oversee the administrative personnel and manage the Friends of Alabama Heritage Board of Directors. Minder will also continue with her fundraising, digital media, marketing, and relationship-building roles, ensuring the magazine’s solid future with strong statewide partnerships. Under Minder’s management with the digital media efforts at the magazine, Alabama Heritage has digitized its back issues and won an award for its online presence—both website and social media content—from the Alabama Historical Association. Minder earned a Master of Arts degree in American studies with a focus on southern popular culture and a Bachelor of Arts in public relations, both from The University of Alabama. Before joining Alabama Heritage, Minder was the publicist for The University of Alabama Press, and a managing editor at Randall-Reilly Publishing for two of its construction industry magazines, where she won several awards. Minder was featured as an Alabama Bright Light in a recent article from the Alabama NewsCenter about her service on the board of the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History & Reconciliation Foundation, which led to the creation of the Tuscaloosa Civil Rights History Trail. She also serves as a board member for the Alabama Historical Association, is a member organization representative for the Arts & Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa, is the immediate past president of the Public Relations Council of West Alabama, and is a member of the Southern Public Relations Federation. Minder is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Tuscaloosa and served on the 2019 Tuscaloosa Bicentennial Time Capsule Committee.
“Having the opportunity to work with a dedicated, passionate, award-winning team is truly a privilege,” said Minder. “I look forward to building upon the great work of my predecessors and creating a vision for our team to continue to tell the rich and colorful stories of Alabama.”
Susan E. Reynolds, PhD, officially takes on the role of editor. Reynolds, who is a native Alabamian and has been with the magazine for nearly 13 years, oversees the daily editorial functions for Alabama Heritage. She manages the content and production of the magazine and ensures that each issue covers a wide range of topics written by outstanding authors and historians. Reynolds earned a PhD in English at The University of Alabama and has a master's in library science. Prior to working at Alabama Heritage, Susan was employed by Southern Living magazine and taught courses in the English departments at The University of Alabama and at the University of South Florida. She has won writing awards and published articles in both literary journals and in Alabama Heritage, along with contributing chapters in various edited collections of literary criticism. In addition to working with the editing team at Alabama Heritage, Reynolds also has professionally edited numerous books, dissertations, and articles for various scholars. Reynolds is a member of the Alabama Historical Association and has made several presentations to a variety of groups on Alabama history, genealogy, and magazine production. She teaches OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) courses in genealogy at the University of Alabama campus and recently served as magazine editor and communications director for the Alabama Genealogical Society.
“I am honored to become the editor of our magazine and see my job as a service to the people of our state,” said Reynolds. “Our team is committed to telling the stories of all Alabamians, and we are excited to continue this publication’s important work.”
Alabama Heritage is available for purchase at The University of Alabama Supply Store, Tuscaloosa’s Ernest & Hadley Booksellers, at statewide Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million stores, and online at www.alabamaheritage.com. Readers can also follow the magazine on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.