Alison Dickie turns the page after three decades with albemarle Magazine
The year was 1991. The Cold War ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Michael Jordan won the first of his six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. The internet’s first website went live, while Terminator 2 ruled the box office.
And in Charlottesville, Alison Dickie found her calling.
Intrigued by the prospects of helping to grow a relatively new regional publication, she joined albemarle Magazine. “I was working in women’s specialty retail for a local Charlottesville business and I saw an opportunity for career growth,” says Dickie. “I was excited about the ability to engage with influential leaders and businesses from the community and across the central Virginia area and was attracted to the growth trajectory of the magazine.”
As she had hoped, the magazine provided ample opportunities for growth. She held numerous roles over the years and continued to take on additional responsibilities including sales, marketing, design, photo styling and editing, magazine distribution, associate publisher, and ultimately, publisher.
And just as the magazine provided the chances for her to grow and advance, Dickie has mentored a long line of young professionals seeking experience in the publishing world. The latest. Gabriella Hoard-West, has worked with her for the past two years. “As a mentor, she always pushed me to do what she knew I was capable of, while also being someone I could always fall back on when I was in over my head,” says Hoard-West. “I saw many people rely on her similarly. She’s the kind of person who everyone goes to when they need help because she is endlessly reliable, kind, and unbelievably hardworking.”
That combination of work ethic and passion has propelled albemarle for more than three decades. “This magazine would not have become the local treasure that it is today without Alison Dickie,” says Bill Carden, president of Carden Jennings Publishing, who, with CJP executive vice president Joe Jennings, founded albemarle in 1987. “She has been the driving force behind so much of what this magazine is, and she has poured her heart into not only this publication, but into making our region a better place through her presence in the community and her tireless commitment to celebrating people and their successes.”
A February event at Farmington marked Alison Dickie’s retirement and DeMaso Publishing’s acquisition of albemarle Magazine after a 37-year run at Carden Jennings Publishing. In her remarks, Dickie gave a special thanks to her late parents, who immigrated from Scotland and raised their family on a farm in Albemarle County.
After a truly remarkable 33-year run at albemarle, Dickie has retired. Now, she is finally able to spend time enjoying her long-neglected hobbies of horseback riding, antiquing, reading, and spending time on her farm in Albemarle County.
She leaves behind a legacy of thousands of stories told, spread across more than 200 issues, along with countless friends made and organizations supported. Being active in the community has always been a high priority and she says that some of her most memorable moments have happened while participating in and showcasing major projects and events, such as refurbishing and re-opening the Paramount Theater on the Downtown Mall and representing the magazine at Foxfield, Montpelier, and other equestrian events.
“It’s also been very gratifying to spotlight remarkable people and places, such as the Monticello Lewis and Clark exhibit and Felicia Rogan, the first lady of wine,” she says. Other notables highlighted in the pages of albemarle have included Sissy Spacek, the Dali Lama, Tony Bennett (the singer), George Welsh, John Grisham, William Albert Allard, and B.B. King.
While grounded locally, Dickie also brought the magazine to a much larger stage, an experience that provided significant benefits both for the publication and for her professional development. “We were often recognized on a global level by the International Regional Magazine Association for our covers, feature stories, photographs, and design, something of which I am extremely proud,” she says. “IRMA significantly impacted my professional career through collaboration and sharing of best practices in the publication of regional magazines. The relationships built with other members of the organization fostered creativity and innovation, while endorsing that our ideas and ways of communicating were effective and worthy of recognition.”
Dickie is quick to share credit with artist and magazine graphic designer Michael Fitts, who has been her copilot for nearly the entire albemarle journey.
“Alison has such energy—she’s just kind of a dynamo when it comes to this magazine,” says Fitts. “She’s had to be selfless and it felt like she never took a day off. Even when she wasn’t working, she was thinking about the magazine and what she could do to make it better. Alison just has this wizardry for being able to pull off something that seems like it’d be impossible.”
Maintaining the same level of engagement with the print publication by both advertisers and readers during the COVID-19 pandemic provided one of the challenges that brought Dickie’s wizardry to the forefront.
“We identified what might bring joy and comfort to the reader during those difficult days and created features that included humor and focused on the beauty of a sense of place and self-awareness,” she says. “We remained committed to being a highly trusted and respected publication with high-quality content.”
That deft touch for creating stories that resonate with the magazine’s readers has been a hallmark of her career. “I’ve always tried to make sure that the magazine transcends generations, lifestyles, and geographic boundaries,” says Dickie. “Over the years, albemarle has focused on bringing awareness of everything the community has to offer across the spectrum of people, places, and events.”
As she turns over the reins to the publication that she has lived and breathed for the past three decades, she will be a hard act to follow. “I hope that albemarle will grow, prosper, and expand its reach by continuing to be a trusted, high-quality publication that provides an enjoyable, relatable experience,” she says. “I hope the magazine continues to enlighten, educate, and entertain its readers whether they are a long-time resident, newcomer, or visitor to the region.”
Giving Thanks
I want to extend my appreciation to the contributing writers, editors, photographers, designers, interns, and co-workers for their support and creative work and for believing in my vision. Your contributions have helped me build the publication that it is today. I also want to thank all of the advertisers for your collaboration, support, and investment over the years.
Throughout my career, I have been able to forge hundreds of close connections and relationships that have provided mentorship and support for the magazine. However, there are a few who have been by my side from the start, through thick and thin, and have meant so much to me. They are Michael Fitts, Robert Llewellyn, and the late Philip Beaurline.
Michael Fitts brought his artistic creativity and design knowledge to bring each issue’s words and photographs to life. Working as a team during the creative process, I am proud of the more than 200 issues that we produced together.
Robert Llewellyn, also an award-winning photographer, consistently shared his trust and respect. He has such a rich and robust portfolio of work that it’s difficult to select the images to use in our features. Our readers always look forward to his work.
Philip Beaurline, an award-winning photographer, was an incredible teacher who taught me how to “look for the light.” Together, we styled and captured many award-winning cover shots of both home and garden that graced the cover and pages of albemarle.
— Alison Dickie