Have you ever watched an athlete play for the first time, or perhaps seen a new co-worker flawlessly command a meeting, and thought, “Wow, this person is going to be good?” That’s how I feel about the new owner and editor of Black Hills Woman Magazine, Kelsey Parker. 

For those of you who missed the last issue or don’t go on social media much, you may not have heard the news that I’ve sold Black Hills Woman Magazine. You may recall the new owner from our Side Gig issue earlier in the year. Or, some of you may also know her as the co-owner of Sól Vibe; still others may know her from her role as an attorney at Bangs McCullen. I would like to formally introduce her to you as Kelsey Parker, the new publisher and editor of Black Hills Woman Magazine.

Though I’ve known Kelsey casually for a few years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with her more closely during our transition and really start to get to know her. If I could have created a wish list of the caliber of person I’d like to pass this precious piece of my career to, Kelsey would be it. Born and raised here, Kelsey is very smart and exceptionally kind-hearted. She’s also a hard worker. Her attitude during this whole process is something everyone could aspire to during a big undertaking. She’s graceful with herself, freely admitting that she will make mistakes, but at the same time approaches every task with optimism and a can-do spirit. I couldn’t be happier to take a step back and watch her lead the way. 

I know the women of the Black Hills will be as supportive of her as they have of me — because that’s what we do; women support women.