Michael Pekovich named editor and creative director of Fine Woodworking
Tom McKenna advances to group editorial director for Taunton Press.
The Taunton Press announced today that Michael Pekovich has been named Editor and Creative Director of Fine Woodworking, taking on the leadership of the company’s flagship brand. Pekovich succeeds Tom McKenna, who has held the top editorial spot since 2013; McKenna has been promoted to Group Editorial Director and will oversee the editorial operations of three of the company’s brands: Fine Woodworking, Fine Gardening, and Threads.
“I couldn’t be more excited for Mike and Tom,” says Taunton CEO Renee Jordan in making the announcement to the team today. “Together, they bring over 50 years’ experience with the company, delivering excellence in the craft of woodworking inspiration and instructional content that has defined the quality of The Taunton Press brands.”
Pekovich joined Fine Woodworking in 1996, moving across the country from California to Connecticut to align his line of work (graphic design) with his lifelong passion (woodworking). Over the decades, his furniture designs and projects have graced the pages and covers of the magazine and have been the showcase of many video workshops. “Mike truly embodies all that is inherent in the brand ethos Fine Woodworking,” Jordan continues. “He is an inspiring furniture designer, craftsman, and teacher as well as an engaging writer and visual storyteller. He commands a vast and magical influence throughout the woodworking community; he promotes excellence by example.”
“Mike has a knack for presenting complex concepts, projects, and techniques with clarity, and his exemplary graphic work has inspired and educated an entire generation of woodworkers,” adds McKenna. His book, The Why and How of Woodworking, was published by The Taunton Press in the fall of 2018 and quickly became a bestseller.
“As the creative director at Fine Woodworking, I’ve worked to realize the magazine’s mission of shining a light on the craft’s top makers and sharing their wisdom with passionate woodworkers in informative and inspiring ways,” says Pekovich. “In my new role, I’m excited to expand that vision across the entire brand platform to create a fuller, richer user experience that incorporates not just print, but digital and video content as well.”
As Pekovich takes on the day-to-day editorial leadership for Fine Woodworking, McKenna will lead the content strategy and collaboration with the marketing, sales, and product development teams for multiple brands in the portfolio. Now in its fifth decade, Fine Woodworking is experiencing record-level audience growth and engagement across all platforms – print magazine, premium access for digital membership, podcast, social media following, and virtual experiential programming.
Comments
Congrats to you both! The increase in digital content has been a huge plus, especially with the way we've been hunkered down. I'm enjoying the Webinar series immensely. Keep doing what you're doing!
Well deserved kudos to both of you !!!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to both of you. I'm sure FineWoodworking will be in excellent hands with Mike at the helm.
Congratulations to you two! The journey will only get better.
Sincerest congratulations, Mike! You were humble as always when Ben announced it on the podcast last week, but I can't think of anyone better suited or more deserving of the role.
congrats but please don't leave STL
Congratulations to you both!
Congratulations Tom and Mike, looking forward to great things. Love the webinars.
Congratulations. Much deserved.
Congratulations to both of you! I hope Mike will still be on the podcast.
Congratulations Mike and Tom. I look forward to many years of excellent publications from Fine Woodworking and Taunton Press.
Congratulation to both of you, I really like how you have steered the ship and brought new life to the magazine franchise, Tom.
Mike, well deserved, great videos, you now look very comfortable in front of the camera, a great teacher and communicator, STL, you can’t leave that you are the rudder, and love the book. You need to write more, I know there is a lot more for you to teach, love your style and eye.
Carry on boys, looking for greater thing from you.
First, congrats to you both!
Mike, in STL episode maybe 185 or so, I thought you gave a great explanation of the benefits of FWW over other woodworking magazines written by staff members who build projects themselves for publication in their own magazine, rather than seeking out content from the best woodworkers around.
However, as a FWW subscriber almost from the very beginning, it seems that in recent years the magazine just hasn't consistently met my expectations - too much emphasis on the basics, far more photographs than text (which often just matches the photo captions), and less overall content.
I think I can appreciate how difficult it must be to put out six consistently high quality issues each year while adhering to a limited budget, and maybe I'm expecting too much...maybe everything has pretty much been said already over the past 45 years. However, if anyone has the talent and seems to have the drive to turn this trend around a bit and make the content consistently more challenging, it seems that you do, and I wish you all the best.
Have you considered going back to the original quarterly publication format, if this would help financially and allow a better overall product?
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