JOYCE HOLLIS 2004 – 2011
“Considering there were 5,000 people in town and no stoplights when I came on board, Bashas’ opening was the biggest news in town. There was no police department, no fire department and four schools. Our vision was to cover everything that was going on in town. That means — literally — a meeting every single night and all kinds of community events on the weekends. It was a busy time, but we were the voice of the community at that point. My greatest contribution was that I was willing to be everywhere, whenever. 85239.com gave me more than I gave it because it allowed me to be on the ground floor and to meet everyone in this community, and that was amazing. InMaricopa is bigger, it is better now with bigger stories. The magazine is amazing. Things have come so far, and they look great.”
OF LEADERSHIP 20 years
BOB MCGOVERN 2020 – 2021 “My greatest accomplishments at InMaricopa were enhancing coverage of quality-of-life issues
deep in the HOAs, and secondly, though not fully accomplished during my tenure, boosting watchdog reporting on local government to increase transparency, especially in relation to the planning
RAQUEL HENDRICKSON 2014 – 2020
“The community was growing and people needed to get involved. I was making sure they knew how to do that. I came in after the Great Recession when we had an entire community getting back on its feet. When things started to grow again, it was important for folks to understand who was and who wasn’t getting the job done. Those were our most read stories at the time — commercial and residential development. That was a great learning experience for me. When I was young, this was literally a one-horse town. Being able to have a big say in the direction of the city is something I’m proud of. I still get the magazine. I’m proud of InMaricopa, too. I love the work that you’re doing. It’s a good portrait of what’s going on. Being able to have this online presence that was the vision from the beginning — it’s the future right in front of our eyes.”
of the city’s growth. My first job in journalism was with a small-town
newspaper in suburban Philadelphia, where I quickly learned the value of local news. While we had competition from other newspapers, ours was the lone publication with a hyperlocal focus. Our little news operation meant a lot to the people in town, and folks weren’t shy about strolling off the sidewalk and into our office to tell you why they disagreed with an editorial or share a tidbit of news or express thanks for putting their kid’s picture on the front page. I eventually went on to bigger dailies in Philadelphia and St. Petersburg, Fla., where I learned the value of print and online publications to be a voice of the people in big cities. Mid-sized Maricopa is fortunate to have its very own quality “small-town” publication, focused intently on life in the city, to serve as a voice for readers and advertisers. InMaricopa caters to the interests and needs of this desert community, fostering a sense of belonging and invigorating community engagement. That is a vital necessity for every city, but especially one growing by leaps and bounds.”
26 New Resident & Visitor Guide 2024 • InMaricopa.com/NewResidentGuide
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