Yankee Magazine Announces New Organizational Plan Following Retirement of Longtime Top Editor Mel Allen
On The Cusp of Its 90th Anniversary, Publisher Draws on Some “Yankee Ingenuity” For New Structure
Yankee Publishing, located in the beautiful Monadnock Region of New Hampshire.
Photo Credit : Oliver PariniDUBLIN, NH – Following the retirement of Yankee’s longtime editor, Mel Allen, in January, the soon-to-be-90-year-old magazine has announced a new organizational structure that is the very definition of “Yankee ingenuity”: using what’s on hand to create something fresh and exciting. The announcement was made today by Brook Holmberg, vice president and publisher.
Allen, who is 78, announced his retirement in his column after nearly 20 years as top editor (since 2006) and 45 years on staff, writing: “There is always an end time. There is always a sense, if not now, when?” He will continue as a contributor, said Holmberg.
Photo Credit : Jarrod McCabe
“Mel has been Yankee’sbeloved editor for nearly 20 years, and during that time he’s found and written many of our most memorable stories; discovered and published some of the region’s finest writers, photographers, and artisans; and served as a travel expert who has guided countless readers to New England’s hidden gems and bucket-list locations,” Holmberg said. “How can any one person possibly replace all that?”
Rather than naming a single editor to succeed Allen, Yankee is creating a new organizational structure whereby the editor’s responsibilities will shared among the magazine’s highly qualified, award-winning editorial leadership team, who will work together closely on the direction of the magazine and its associated channels.
“As a small, employee-owned company, we believe this unique approach will be of benefit by giving our editors an increased voice so that every story reflects the perspectives and creativity of the entire team,” Holmberg said. “By playing up everyone’s unique talents and strengths, it will help in producing content that’s relevant and engaging for readers across our multiple platforms, whether the print magazine, the NewEngland.com website, email newsletters, social media, or our national public television show, Weekends with Yankee.”
To facilitate the new structure, Yankee announces the following two promotions:
Jenn Johnson is promoted to senior managing editor and is responsible for communicating and implementing content strategy across all Yankee channels. She also oversees planning, scheduling, and production of all Yankee publications and will serve as primary editorial liaison to the magazine’s production, advertising, and digital platforms. Johnson, who was hired as Yankee’s managing editor in 2016, has worked for a variety of publications in New England and beyond, including serving as managing editor for Boston and Hemispheres magazines.
Ian Aldrich is promoted to executive editor. In his new role, Aldrich oversees staff writers and freelancers to execute magazine features and other editorial coverage. Aldrich, who has worked for Yankee for more than two decades, was previously a senior editor at Cincinnati Magazine, and his work has also appeared in publications including Outside and Boston. His Yankee story on New England’s opioid crisis received gold in the reporting category of the 2019 City and Regional Magazine Awards, and his other writings have been recognized by both the Best American Sports Writing and Best American Travel Writing anthologies.
Johnson and Aldrich will report to Holmberg, as will the core editorial leadership team consisting of senior food editor and Weekends with Yankee co-host Amy Traverso, senior digital editor Aimee Tucker, and travel and branded content editor Kim Knox Beckius. This group will be supported by Yankee’s award-winning art director, Katharine Van Itallie, and senior photo editor Heather Marcus, along with additional editorial staff and a select group of notable contributors from around the region.
“We strongly believe this new approach is perfectly aligned with our goal of expanding our business beyond the core print magazine, while at the same time giving our talented editorial leadership team the opportunity to play a larger role shaping the evolution of the Yankee brand moving forward,” said Holmberg.
According to Holmberg, magazine readers won’t notice significant changes right away, since most stories to be published in 2025 were assigned last year under Mel Allen’s direction. However, in 2026, the magazine and its digital platforms will be refreshed to reach even more readers. “What will never change, though, is our dedication to celebrating New England’s lifestyle and culture and telling the stories of the people and places that make the region unique,” adds Holmberg.
