Meet New FMA Board Member Gigi Ortwein

Title: Creative Director
Publication: Sarasota Magazine
Circulation: 21,000
Target Audience: Our target audience is the educated and affluent Sarasota resident and visitor.
Frequency: Bi-monthly
Website: SarasotaMagazine.com

Tell us a little about your publishing background.

My background in publishing is limited to three separate stints at Sarasota Magazine. I started shortly after graduating from Ringling College of Art & Design — now Ringling College — as a paste-up artist and worked my way up the Art Department ladder.

Tell us about Sarasota Magazine. 

Sarasota Magazine has been the preeminent cities magazine for nearly 45 years. It was founded by Daniel Denton as Clubhouse Magazine, but quickly rebranded as Sarasota Magazine. We grew quickly and solidly throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s. In 2016, we were acquired by SagaCity Media, publisher of Portland Monthly, Seattle Met, and Houstonia magazines.

What is the biggest challenge facing today’s city magazines?

I believe the biggest challenge facing magazines today is that digital media is further stretching limited marketing dollars and magazines must find a way to capture their share of that budget.

Why did you decide to join the FMA Board? 

I have benefitted from our association with FMA for many years, and it’s my turn to try to give back. My daughter started college this year, allowing me a little more flexibility with my time and personal resources. I hope that my experience will be of some value.

Tell us a little about you. What do you like to do when you’re not working?

When not working, I enjoy painting and other efforts to produce mediocre fine art. I also volunteer many hours with our local wildlife rehab facility.