Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/633921
B M & T ••• November/December 2015 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 4 As we draw to the close of 2015, I wanted to take a moment to express my deep gratitude and appreciation for those who have touched my life and have supported the work we do here at Black Meetings & Tourism. First and foremost I want to acknowledge Victoria Head, and thank her for her many years of dedicated and loyal service to BM&T. She was an inte- gral part of our team for over a decade and wore many hats in our publishing company, though her official title was Executive Administrative Assistant/- Writer. In September the time had come for Victoria to move on to pursue other interests and goals. We miss her dearly and wish her the best of luck and many blessings as this new chapter in her life continues to unfold. I also want to recognize our gifted friend and art director Robert Ingram, whose Pop Media Group is responsible for the exceptional graphic design and lay- out displayed on the pages of Black Meetings & Tourism. In my view there are none better in the industry and we are so very fortunate to have him on our team. We can always count on Robert to deliv- er spectacular work, even during a year PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE Solomon J. Herbert Publisher/Editor-In- Chief E-Mail: BMandTMag@aol.com as difficult for him as 2015, during which he lost his precious Mother. There is not enough room here for me to single out every team member who has had a positive impact on the success of BM&T. But I would be remiss if I didn't mention our office manager Dorothy Canty, who is more like family than an employee, my son Solomon, who is responsible for our beautifully crafted cover designs, as well as the BM&T web- site, newsletter and a number of our fea- ture stories, and our Senior Sales Manager Regina Buggs, who has been with us from the beginning when she was- barely out of her teens. A special thank you goes to Willa Robinson, who recently celebrated her first anniversary back at BM&T as a sales manager. Willa sold advertising for Black Meetings & Tourism during the early years of our development, and after about a 15- year absence, returned home in 2014 to lend her considerable talents to our ad sales department. Of course, BM&T could not exist with- out the continued support of our advertis- ing partners who recognize the impor- tance of the work we do, and also the considerable value of the African- American market that we serve. You might be surprised to discover how many destinations and other industry players don't have a clear understanding of either and unknowingly leave the money this market represents on the table. And finally, none of the efforts I have made over the years to provide a service to our industry would have been possible without the backing, understanding, bril- liance and love of my business and life partner, Gloria Herbert, the glue that has held BM&T together for nearly 23 years. Thank you Glo for everything. I couldn't have done it without you. Black Meetings & Tourism is published bi-monthly by SunGlo Enterprises, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207 •Telephone: (818)709-0646/Fax: (818) 709-4753 Copyright 2015 by SunGlo Enterprises. All rights reserved. Single Copies, $6.00 Subscriptions $45.00. Postage Paid at Pasadena, CA. •Postmaster send address changes to Black Meetings & Tourism, 20840 Chase St., Winnetka, CA 91306-1207.