Who Is MediaTec?
Norman B. Kamikow
President and Editor in Chief
Norm Kamikow is president and editor in chief of MediaTec Publishing Inc., which publishes Chief Learning Officer magazine,Talent Management magazine, Certification Magazine and Diversity Executive magazine along with targeted supplements, special reports and electronic newsletters for each publication. Chief Learning Officer was named "Best New Publication" by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). Norm also received the 2005 Innovation Award from Media Business Magazine, which honored him as Top Publisher of the Year.
Norm has more than 30 years of magazine and direct marketing publishing experience. Since beginning his career with Seventeen magazine, Norm has worked either directly or as a consultant to many consumer and business-to-business magazines. With a specialty in new magazine development, he has played a key role in the launch of OMNI magazine, SPIN magazine, Game Players magazine, CD-ROM Today, Internet World and Web Week. He contributed to the redesign of such magazines as Financial World and CD-ROM World. As president/CEO of Decks Inc., he worked with several major publishing companies to develop revenue resources from alternative media. This client base included BusinessWeek, Fortune, Money Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Esquire, The Journal of the American Dental Association and Dun & Bradstreet reports. Norm is a recipient of the Tempo Award from the Direct Marketing Association and is a biographee of Marquis Who's Who in the Midwest and Who's Who in Advertising and the Media.
John R. Taggart
Executive Vice President and Group Publisher
John Taggart is executive vice president/group publisher of MediaTec Publishing Inc. He brings 25 years of experience in the technology publishing industry to MediaTec. In addition to sales positions with several leading publications, John served as vice president of publishing at Antic Publishing, where he managed sales, circulation, editorial and production departments for both Antic and Amiga Plus magazines. As president of Taggart Pierce & Co., he has represented Compute!, Internet World, CD-ROM Today, Business Communications Review Magazine, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine and InfoStor Magazine. John is an active member of the American Business Media, the San Francisco Advertising Club and numerous community-based organizations.
Gwen Connelly
Vice President of Operations
Gwen Connelly is vice president and operations director of MediaTec Publishing Inc. Gwen also oversees the CLO Symposium live conference series, the CLO Breakfast Club programs MediaTec’s e-Seminar series, as well as the development of corporate initiatives and special projects for all publications.
Gwen has more than 25 years of publishing and advertising experience. Since beginning her career with Grey Advertising, Leo Burnett Advertising Agencies, where she rose to creative director, Gwen has served as a creative director, an illustrator and a marketing consultant, developing programs for major publishers, advertising agencies and several national consumer companies. This client base includes Leo Burnett Advertising, Pearson Publishing, McDonald’s Corp., Weber Grill, National Geographic, Macmillan Publishing, Toys “R” Us and Hyatt Corp.
Mike Prokopeak
Editorial Director
Mike Prokopeak is editorial director of MediaTec Publishing Inc. Mike directs content for the CLO Symposium live conference series, the CLO Breakfast Club programs and all MediaTec magazines, as well as the e-Seminar series, research initiatives and special projects.
Mike brings a wide range of experience in journalism, publishing, and marketing along with a proven track record of editorial achievement to MediaTec. After joining Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine in Flagstaff (Ariz.) as a reporter, he worked his way up to editor in chief, eventually taking on general manager responsibilities for the magazine and its sister publication, Flagstaff Live, both owned by Pulitzer Newspapers Inc. He directed the editorial, design, advertising, and events departments and successfully led a complete redesign of the publications. Mike has also worked with leading educational publishing companies, including Houghton Mifflin Company and the Great Books Foundation. A former teacher and Peace Corps volunteer, Mike brings in-depth experience in continuing education and training to MediaTec.
Brian Summerfield
Managing Editor
Brian Summerfield is the managing editor for Chief Learning Officer magazine and senior editor for Talent Management magazine and Certification Magazine. Brian is involved with directing content for CLO magazine's print, Web and event offerings, and also performs writing and editing duties for other MediaTec publications. Prior to his current role, Brian served as an associate editor and Web editor for MediaTec Publishing Inc.
Brian is an experienced communicator, and has written in a variety of mediums. He began his career with the Williamson County Review Appeal, a daily Nashville-area newspaper, covering the crime and emergency services beat and also writing articles on local government, business and lifestyle. Additionally, he worked with U.S. Navy Captain William R. Anderson on a forthcoming book detailing his expeditions under the Arctic icecap as skipper of the U.S.S. Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine. Along with his professional accomplishments, Brian is an Eagle Scout, as well as a member of the Associate Board of the Merit School of Music and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Kellye Whitney
Managing Editor
As managing editor, Kellye Whitney oversees the daily editorial and operational duties of Talent Management magazine and Diversity Executive magazine, their weekly and monthly e-newsletters and related live and online events. Kellye is a senior member of the editorial staff and also contributes strategic direction and content for Chief Learning Officer magazine and Certification Magazine.
She joined MediaTec Publications Inc. in February 2004 as an associate editor. Her previous experience includes an editorial position at Midwest Real Estate News and freelance work for Vibe, the Chicago Tribune and numerous Web sites including ediets.com. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a BA in news-editorial journalism.
Daniel Margolis
Managing Editor
Daniel Margolis is managing editor for MediaTec Publishing Inc. Daniel directs content for Certification Magazine and its Web site, as well as contributes content for Certification and MediaTec’s other publications, Chief Learning Officer magazine, Talent Management magazine and Diversity Executive magazine.
Daniel has been writing professionally for 10 years. He has previously covered the machining and print industries as a staff writer and editor, as well as provided content for America Online and XXL magazine, among other publications and media outlets. Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in English, with a concentration in language, writing and editing, from North Carolina State University.
James Yeakel
Associate Publisher & Advertising Director
James R. Yeakel is associate publisher and advertising director for MediaTec Publishing Inc. In his management role, Jim directs the advertising sales efforts for Chief Learning Officer magazine, Talent Management magazine, Certification Magazine and Diversity Executive magazine as well as other associated media such as e-Seminars, newsletters, Web properties and CLO events. A native Californian, Jim has worked in advertising and publishing for more than three decades, serving as vice president of Boston-based Access Media. Before that, he held a number of positions over 21 years with Time Inc. in various sales management roles for People magazine, as well as the launches of such successful titles as InStyle, Teen People and People en Espanol.
Vince Czarnowski
Business Manager
Vince Czarnowski is business manager for MediaTec Publishing Inc. He is responsible for all business and customer service matters for MediaTec publications, properties and events. A native of Chicago, Vince graduated from St. Ignatius College Prep and holds a degree in business administration from Northwestern Business College.
Before joining the MediaTec team, Vince worked for 15 years as an operations manager for New Concepts LLC, a commodities trading firm on the Chicago Board Options Exchange. His duties there included facilitating all office activities, supervising support staff, managing vendor management and overseeing HR activities for new and temporary employees. Vince has also worked as office administrator for Astronautics Corp. of America and as sales coordinator for Media Networks Inc.
Kendra Chaplin
Director, Creative & Production Services
Kendra Chaplin is production manager for MediaTec Publishing Inc. She directs the design and production of corporate initiatives, including Chief Learning Officer magazine,Talent Management magazine Certification Magazine and Diversity Executive magazine, associated supplements, live conference materials, Web sites and e-media. Kendra also is responsible for the execution of special projects for all publications and media.
Kendra has more than 10 years of design and production experience. Since beginning her career in advertising at Abelson-Taylor Inc., she has contributed creatively to a variety of advertising, public relations and publishing projects for clients from pharmaceutical, information technology and national consumer companies. Kendra holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Illinois and an associate degree in electronic design from the American Academy of Art. |
