Six new employees have joined the staff at Seven Days, Vermont’s largest independent weekly newspaper, over the past few months. The new hires include two staff writers, a marketing and events manager, a production manager, a designer and a sales assistant.
“This group of new employees is emblematic of Seven Days‘ readership,” notes publisher and co-editor Paula Routly. “All of them are smart, savvy, creative and involved in the community. Most of them came to this area for college — and stayed. We’re thrilled to be a part of developing Vermont’s next-generation workforce.”
These additions to Seven Days‘ award-winning team reflect the locally owned media company’s continuing investment in providing high-quality, free, local content both in print and online.
Kathryn Flagg, Staff Writer
Kathryn Flagg started her career in journalism at the Addison Independent in 2008, after graduating from Middlebury College. In 2009, the New England Newspaper and Press Association named her Rookie of the Year, and Kathryn snagged the prize for Best State Story from the Vermont Press Association in 2010. After two years, she left the Addy Indy to enroll in the Masters of Fine Arts writing program at the University of Wyoming, and simultaneously won a fellowship in environmental journalism through Middlebury College. In Wyoming, she pursued her MFA while working on environmental reporting projects, including a cloud-seeding story that took her all the way to China. In January, Kathryn returned to Shoreham, where she and her husband raise beef cattle.
Paul Heintz, Staff Writer
Before graduating from Dartmouth College in 2006, Paul Heintz worked as an intern with NPR’s “On the Media”; after graduation, he spent several months as a desk assistant for “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” before taking a job as a reporter for the Brattleboro Reformer. In 2008, he paddled the 740-mile Northern Forest Canoe Trail and then succumbed to the dark side — he moved to Washington, D.C. to become communications director for Rep. Peter Welch. In 2010, Paul had the dubious distinction of winning the first and only Seven Daysie award for “Best Flack.” Then, in 2011, he felt the need to cleanse his soul, so he quit his job and spent five and a half months thru-hiking the 2181-mile Appalachian Trail. He’s been back in Vermont and on the job since February 1. Now Paul spends his days writing on his laptop in coffee shops, jamming out to Trey and the boys, and posting to the #BTV hashtag.
Corey Grenier, Marketing and Events Manager
Corey Grenier comes to Seven Days after a two-year stint as a project manager for Brandthropology, a Burlington-based marketing firm. Her clients there included Northwestern Medical Center, City Market and Vermont Electric Coop. Corey graduated from Champlain College in 2010 with a degree in marketing. During her senior year, she earned a “social media ninja” distinction from her online marketing professor, Elaine Young; the Washington Post subsequently featured Corey in a podcast spotlighting how students are learning to use technological tools. At Champlain, Corey was an orientation leader and a member of the dance team. She is passionate about empowering women, and promoting positive images of women in the media — she blogs about both on her personal Tumblr, called Rosie the Marketer.
Justin Gonyea, Production Manager
Justin Gonyea moved to Vermont from Boston, where he earned a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. He worked most recently as the art director for ANG Creative, the in-house production studio responsible for advertising for the Air National Guard. He took command of the Seven Days production department in November. Justin is also the cofounder of Get Stoked! Records, a DIY label whose new release is One H.E.L.L. of a Compilation, a fundraiser for a Boston bike-safety group called Helping Everyone Live Longer. He plays guitar in local punk bands, including Hunger and No Submission, and recently organized a benefit show for Big Heavy World.
Bobby Hackney, Designer
Bobby Hackney joined the Seven Days design staff in January, but you may have seen him in the news before that. As the lead singer of the Burlington-based band Rough Francis, Bobby has been featured not only in Seven Days, but also on NPR and in the New York Times. He studied fine arts and graphic design at the Community College of Vermont, and is working on earning his bachelor’s degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh Online. Bobby also works with Burlington Meals-on-Wheels and does design work for South Burlington music venue Higher Ground.
Emily Rose, Sales Assistant
Emily Rose is a newly minted graduate of the Journalism and Mass Communication program at Saint Michael’s College. While a student at St. Mike’s, Emily interned at Hen House Media, and co-produced and -directed a documentary film, “Best If Used By Freegans.” When she’s not supporting the sales team, Emily is reading, practicing Bikram yoga or finding craft projects on Pinterest.
Seven Days, founded in 1995 by Pamela Polston and Paula Routly, has garnered numerous awards from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and been named the state’s best non-daily newspaper by the Vermont Press Association for the past seven years in a row. The company has grown from an original staff of seven to 49 employees today.
Seven Days publishes a weekly newspaper every Wednesday, as well as three e-newsletters, a web video series called “Stuck in Vermont,” two award-winning glossy annual magazines — the 7 Nights dining guide and What’s Good college student guide to Burlington — and Kids VT, Vermont’s free monthly parenting publication. The company also produces two annual events: Vermont Restaurant Week; and the Vermont Tech Jam, a job fair and tech expo.
In 2000, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce selected then-5-year-old Seven Days as “Business of the Year.” Eight years later, the Burlington Business Association did the same, citing the company’s exemplary business practices, contributions to the community, and promotion of a positive image for Burlington and business success.
