04301
June 22, 2004

John Sniffen hired for Presbyterians Today staff

Move is one of several in PC(USA)’s Office of Communication

by Jerry L. Van Marter

LOUISVILLE — John Sniffen, a longtime associate editor of the Richmond, VA-based Presbyterian Outlook, has been named associate editor of Presbyterians Today, the denominational magazine of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

      Sniffen’s hiring is part of a major reorganization of the PT staff intended to strengthen the editorial, marketing and business functions of the magazine and achieve a balanced budget.

      In other moves announced by Editor Eva Stimson, Sharon Kutz-Mellem has been promoted from circulation and promotions manager to publisher and marketing director, and Kathleen “Kate” Anyan, a Louisville graphic designer with extensive magazine publishing experience, has been hired as production manager.

“We’re looking forward to having John and Kate join the Presbyterians Today team,” Stimson said. “I’m especially delighted that we were able to find two new staff members with such strong credentials and extensive experience in the field of magazine production. John’s knowledge of the church is an added bonus. Filling these positions will enable Presbyterians Today to move into the future with fresh energy, vision and commitment to serve the people of the Presbyterian Church (USA).”

      The position of managing editor, held by Catherine Cottingham for more than 20 years, has been eliminated. And John Filiatreau, who for five years has been assistant editor of the magazine — while also working as a reporter and copy editor for the Presbyterian News Service — will become a full-time copy editor for the Office of Communication.

      The Presbyterians Today staffing changes are among those recommended last year by a consultant who studied all aspects of the magazine’s operations. They also are part of a restructuring of the Office of Communication in view of priorities and objectives outlined in the Mission Work Plan recently adopted by the General Assembly Council.

      The GAC has allocated additional funds to PT for 2005-2006 to help make the changes.

      Mindy Marchal, a producer in the Media Services department, will move to the Information and Planning department to oversee “external communication,” including the PC(USA)’s new national media campaign and a Presbyterian Communicators Partnership that will create a network of communications specialists from the denomination’s presbyteries. The first meeting of the network is scheduled for August 2005.

      Mary Julia Pace will continue as associate for communication planning, but her work will now focus on working with the National Ministries Division, rather than the general planning she has been doing.