(Photo courtesy Amy Materson) LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
After twenty-five years of diligent watch-care over us, our “mama-bird” has decided to leave the nest for a well-deserved retirement. Since I arrived sixteen years ago, Sara Martin, our marketing director, has been my rock. She knows this magazine, its customers, and the university procedures, protocols, and politics. She knows what works and what does not. She can sense a land mine a mile away. Her instincts, her strength and courage, her willingness to speak her mind, and her kindness and diplomacy in all things have protected and guided many a baby bird at Alabama Heritage—myself, most of all.
After twenty-five years of diligent watch-care over us, our “mama-bird” has decided to leave the nest for a well-deserved retirement. Since I arrived sixteen years ago, Sara Martin, our marketing director, has been my rock. She knows this magazine, its customers, and the university procedures, protocols, and politics. She knows what works and what does not. She can sense a land mine a mile away. Her instincts, her strength and courage, her willingness to speak her mind, and her kindness and diplomacy in all things have protected and guided many a baby bird at Alabama Heritage—myself, most of all.
When Sara arrived at the University of Alabama in 1993, the Alabama Heritage staff were on year-to-year employment contracts—and how glad we are that she took that scary deal. She had enough confidence in this magazine and its value to the state to believe that one year would turn into two and three and eventually a full commitment. And she made that happen.
Sara braved the storm in 1996, when Alabama Heritage received word its funding would be cut. She harnessed the power of happy customers to build the Friends of Alabama Heritage organization and its stellar board of directors, which saved us and became a vital leg beneath us. She believed that corporations would want to get behind this magazine, and she proved it so—recruiting and sustaining corporate sponsors, who have become another substantial leg supporting us. And most important of all, she keeps our customers happy and coming back for more.
It is Sara’s nature to nurture, whether it is her family, hungry people at the Community Soup Bowl, special needs children at the Miracle League (which she helped to found), her supervisor, her colleagues, or the never-ending stream of young university students who have worked for and learned from her on their way to all sorts of wonderful careers. Sara takes care of people.
We say our bittersweet goodbyes to her, unable to imagine what the nest will feel like without her. But we also know very well that she will always be there for us. And we will always be in her debt.
We thank Sara for so many things. We celebrate with her as she builds her dream retirement life.
With infinite gratitude,
Donna Cox Baker and all of your baby birds
Sara braved the storm in 1996, when Alabama Heritage received word its funding would be cut. She harnessed the power of happy customers to build the Friends of Alabama Heritage organization and its stellar board of directors, which saved us and became a vital leg beneath us. She believed that corporations would want to get behind this magazine, and she proved it so—recruiting and sustaining corporate sponsors, who have become another substantial leg supporting us. And most important of all, she keeps our customers happy and coming back for more.
It is Sara’s nature to nurture, whether it is her family, hungry people at the Community Soup Bowl, special needs children at the Miracle League (which she helped to found), her supervisor, her colleagues, or the never-ending stream of young university students who have worked for and learned from her on their way to all sorts of wonderful careers. Sara takes care of people.
We say our bittersweet goodbyes to her, unable to imagine what the nest will feel like without her. But we also know very well that she will always be there for us. And we will always be in her debt.
We thank Sara for so many things. We celebrate with her as she builds her dream retirement life.
With infinite gratitude,
Donna Cox Baker and all of your baby birds
