by Noah Mitchell
(Noah Mitchell is the managing editor of Lavender Magazine, based in Edina, Minn., just outside Minneapolis. The following editorial appeared in the magazine’s August 22, 2024, issue and is reprinted below with permission.)

Hello, Lavender Magazine! I’m Noah Mitchell, the new managing editor. I’m looking forward to getting to know you as I help share your stories in my new role. If you’d like to get to know me as well, here’s a quick crash course on how I got here.

I’m a lifelong Minnesotan — I grew up in Rochester, then went to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and got a bachelor’s in journalism and political science. I still live in Minneapolis and I’m excited to start this new chapter in my home state.

Since graduating, I’ve worked for a handful of local publications and covered a variety of topics, including local government, small business and sports. You may have seen my byline in The Minnesota Daily, Racket, the Chanhassen Villager, Southwest Voices, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, or here at Lavender, where I wrote about the Stonewall Sports national tournament.

My main emotion as I begin this, my first position where I’ve been given a column and told to write just about whatever I’d like, is gratitude. I don’t have room to thank everyone in this column that I’d like to, but I’ll try to get as many in as I can before I get played offstage.

Thank you to my family and friends, to [Lavender Media President and CEO] Stephen Rocheford for giving me this opportunity, to [former editor] Randy Stern for carrying the torch before me and giving me my first chance to write at Lavender, and to Linda Raines for her work as interim managing editor and support while I get up to speed in my new role.

I also want to thank you, the readers. Without you, this magazine and the community around it couldn’t exist. I’ll do my best to maintain this wonderful thing you’ve helped build and improve it where I can.

GUEST COMMENTARY
Volume 26
Issue 10