By Mark Hanzlik, AWN Executive Director

If you haven’t already noticed, we’ve sent AWN into the shop for a tune-up and new set of tires and now we’re back on the road with a guide-map and new kick-ass attitude.  For the sake of not repeating myself in too many places too often, you can  read about our new web site and corporate design changes this month in an official press release at www.awn.org/awnpress/

The transformation of AWN had been in the works since the beginning of the year.   It had become increasingly clear that the existing model would not be sustainable  forever and a re-calibration of the sales goals, strategies and our operational home base was in order.    Besides, media and advertising industries had been so severely shaken and stirred the last year or two that it had become increasingly difficult to see how or where alternative weeklies  (including our friends at Voice Media too) would come out on the other side.    At the same time, we had been hoping to re-join the News & Review as a tenant in their new headquarters on Del Paso Boulevard in Sacramento.   It was an opportunity to create an environment where we could ignite the HanzMediaInc team once again by simply moving AWN Central to new quarters and re-thinking our business model.   I’ve always subscribed to the theory that change is good for an organization or individual, as long it’s not done just for the sake of change.

As timing would have it, we were able to move into the News & Review‘s new “green” building on March 1st and at the same time make some personnel changes within our small company that would meld with our new sense of direction.    The cross-pollination of our team with News & Review staff has been successful in every aspect of the business, and it provided our staff with the renewed sense of purpose and context for which they went about their daily job.

Our AWN Central Office lineup now includes Sarah Billingsley, Communications Director (who you’ll hear from often in this blog); Cody Brill, Advertising Coordinator; Lidia Stoian, Accounting Manager; Sheila Malone, Accounting Specialist; and Christopher Rauschnot, Tech Support.

If you haven’t already heard from our newest player, Cody Brill, then you probably haven’t received an AWN insertion order recently.   We’re hoping to change that picture for many of you in the future.   As for potential AWN network sellers… remember this is a sales cooperative.   We invite your ideas and talents, and hope to change those into opportunities for all.