Michael Fox named Volunteer of the Year

It's a great pleasure to see that Michael Fox has been named Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year for 2005. It's a brand new award and he well deserves to be its first recipient.

Fox is Senior Vice-President, Circulation & Development at Rogers Publishing Limited in Toronto and is actively involved in the publishing industry as Chair of Magazines Canada's Postal Subcommittee and a member of the Magazine Directors Advisory Committee, Audit Bureau of Circulations. Fox is an authoritative and effective advocate for the industry and continues to play an instrumental role in the PAP battle. (Indeed, there are times when it seems that he alone can unravel the mysteries of Canada Post.) He has volunteered as a faculty member at all three Magazines Canada schools, sharing his knowledge and insight with industry up-and-comers.

In addition to Fox's award, Magazines Canada has cited three people who were particularly effective volunteers on behalf of the industry and/or particular Canadian titles.

• Melissa Edwards is a former Associate Editor at Vancouver's Geist where she has been a member of the board for the last decade and is also their cartographer. She sits on the boards of the B.C. Association of Magazine Publishers and Vancouver's Word on the Street. In her ten years in the industry, Edwards has selflessly shared her time and experience with many western magazines as well as volunteering on the Magazines Canada Small Magazine Committee.
• Tony Fouhse is the resident photographer at Ottawa's Burnt toast. His shots give the magazine a charge and a charm that invigorate every issue yet he contributes far more than photography. In addition to designing ads and contributing to layout, Fouhse helps out with marketing, business planning and advertising. His twenty years in the magazine industry, coupled with a good business sense and a desire to see Burnt toast succeed, make Fouhse a valued member of the publishing team.
• Colin Martin volunteers at dANDelion as a member of its editorial collective. When he is not helping out with grant writing, reading through slush piles, he is lending an editorial and administrative hand wherever and whenever needed. Martin is actively involved in Calgary's literary scene where his outreach connects the city to dANDelion.

Fox will receive his award during the Magazines Canada luncheon on June 8 at Magazines University. Edwards, Fouhse and Martin will be honoured at the Magazines Canada Volunteer Appreciation Reception, also on June 8 at Magazines University.