Publisher's Notes

by Julian Miller
Publisher

When Augusta Magazine initiated its "Best of Augusta" feature back in 1984, the staff knew it could evolve into a lot of fun. And it has. Welcome to the issue we enjoy the most each year.

But I wonder if anyone envisioned how this idea would evolve into what could be the highest honor Augustans bestow. That is, anyone except Bryan Mitchell.

Bryan has been overseeing sales and development at Augusta Magazine since 1993 and has been steering the success of the "Best of Augusta" and its accompanying Best of Augusta Bash as the magazine's general manager since 1998.

Under his leadership, "Best of Augusta" has grown into the second most popular issue of the year (after Masters) and his idea of sponsoring a "Bash" to give winners of the award an opportunity to show off their products and talents to the city has turned into a "must attend" function for the area.

Each year, hundreds of readers vote "Best of" status to everything from hamburgers to bands to primo places to meet the opposite sex. At the Bash, restaurateurs offer their most popular dishes, while Augusta's favorite entertainers perform for attendees who pay 10 bucks to attend. Each of the past two years this function has raised $10,000 for the National Science Center's Fort Discovery, recipient of all the profits.

There was never any doubt who orchestrated it all: Bryan convinced the restaurateurs to donate their food and time, scheduled the entertainment, booked the science center, promoted the event, created plaques for winners to display and even passed out free beverage tickets to attendees. It has always been his party.

Not surprising. Even as publisher, I've always known it was really Bryan's magazine. He built the staff that produced it, created an environment where members could flourish and gave them the freedom to grow. The magazine grew with it. Meanwhile, Bryan created programs, set goals, sold ads, coached and made sure everyone had fun.

This year's Bash on October 2, again at the Science Center, promises to be the best. But it brings a solemn aspect. It will be Bryan's last. He has left the magazine to return to his first love - the restaurant business - with a few publications on the side. And he has left some big shoes to fill in the process.

We at the magazine couldn't let this happen without recognizing what he has done for this publication and thanking him for what he has done for our readers and us.

Thanks, Bryan.