Honoring MSLO's Ten-Year Plus Employees
Monday evening was cold, rainy, and icy here in the Northeast, not at all a good night for a party. However, we at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, were scheduled to celebrate our Ten-Year Plus Employees. We found the lovely Ze Café, located on East 52nd Street in Manhattan as the venue. This year, we were honoring more than eighty people, including ten who passed that mile-marker this year. All of these employees should be commended for their many years of fine service and dedication to the Martha Brand. Thank you!
1 Here I am coming in from the cold and nasty winter weather. The atmosphere in Ze Cafe was warm and inviting.
2 Also coming in from the cold - Darcy Smith - AVP, Copy Director and Jody Levine - Editor-at-Large Holiday/Crafts
3 Michelle O'Connor - Home Director Publishing was happy to arrive.
4 Yolanda Burgos, Adrianna Weisberg, and Ana Velasquez - Housekeeping Associates
5 Rich Fontaine - SVP, Consumer Marketing, Mark Winkler - AVP Circulation Business Dir., Lynn Goodwin - VP Facilites, and Rita Christiansen - SVP Compensation
6 Kristen Wendling - Customer Relations Manager and Jocelyn Santos - Managing Director Radio
7 Jocelyn Santos, Kate Lewis - AVP Dir. of Standards & Compl, and Lynn Goodwin
8 Jocelyn Santos, Kate Lewis, Lynn Goodwin, Ron Palacio - Director of Social Media, and Ana Velasquez
9 Lynn Goodwin and Mike Fiore - Property Director
10 Brian Steindl - TV Promo Editor, Mark Winkler, and Rita Christiansen
11 Greta Anthony - TV Food Segment Producer, Greg Jannacone - Editor, and Brian Steindl
12 Stefanie Lynen - Deputy Design Director
13 Jodi Levine
14 Jeff Allen - Assistant Prop House Manage and Jodi Levine
15 Angus Chen - Helpdesk Manager/Exec Support and Jeff Carnevale - VP, Corporate Technology
16 Lainie Miller - Assistant Controller Finance
17 Judy Morris - Special Projects Producer
18 Marsha Hager - AVP Production Director
19 Levi Garcia - System Administrator
20 Beverages served were beer, wine, and a signature cocktail.
21 There was an impressive charcuterie platter of mixed salumi, fruits, and nuts.
22 Baskets of great bread
23 There were also lovely cheeses.
24 Crudite
25 Passed hors d'oeuvres included smoked salmon and mascarpone, served on an endive leaf and garnished with red onion and capers.
26 Here I am with a few IT guys - Jeff Carnevale, Levi Garcia, and Angus Chen
27 Chef Sunayna Agha prepared many inventive and delicious treats.
28 A warm hors d'oeuvre was a crostini topped with sherry sauteed mushrooms, ricotta, and caramelized onion.
29 Small plates of ravioli
30 The ravioli being passed
31 Duane Stapp - Production Manager WL, Elizabeth Eakin - Design Production Manager, and Levi Garcia
32 Allyn Magrino - Susan Magrino Agency, Michelle O'Connor, and Eric Pike - EVP Creative Director
33 Jocelyn Santos
34 Mark Winkler and Kristen Wendling
35 Such nice ambiance at Ze Cafe
36 Martin Mendoza - Maintenance Supervisor, Ana Velasquez, and Aida Ibarra - Test Kitchen Assistant
37 Alison Vanek - Photo Rights & Archive Director, Denise Clappi - AVP Print/Digital Quality Control, and Evelyn Battaglia - Executive Editor
38 Gael Towey also came in from the cold.
39 Gael and I have been friends and colleagues for many years.
40 Posing with Darcy Miller - SVP Editorial Director Weddings, Gael Towey, and Kevin Sharkey - SVP Exec Edit Dir, Dec & Crea
41 With Susan Magrino and her sister, Allyn
42 Sampling a fabulous crab cake
43 With my newly-wed niece, Sophie Slater
44 And with Denise Clappi
45 Rita Christiansen, Kevin Sharkey, Gael Towey, and Lorna Aragon - AVP Style Director
46 Here I am with the owners of Ze Cafe and of Zezé Flowers, right around the corner, Zezé and Peggy O'Dea. I really like both places.
47 Tanya Graff - Deputy Style Editor, Silke Stoddard - Deputy Crafts Editor, and Marcie McGoldrick - VP Editorial Director Holiday/Craft
48 Ayesha Patel - SVP Style Director and Ellen Morrissey - VP Editorial Director
49 Lynn Goodwin and Mike Verrassi - Photo Studio Manager
50 Molly Bradford - Director of Post Production and Lynn Goodwin
51 Ambiance
52 With Ze Cafe Executive Chef Sunayna Agha
53 Rita Christiansen, Judy Morris, and Sophie Slater
54 I got up to speak and honored all of those in attendance for their many years of loyalty and hard work.
55 I asked all of the new Ten-Year inductees to speak. Mark Winkler reflected on his ten years with MSLO.
56 Deputy Design Director, Stefanie Lynen, explained that she never went to school for crafts or art and learned everything she knows about it from me and working amongst the most creative people in the world.
57 Darcy Smith talked about how enjoyable her ten years have been because of all the wonderful, talented people she has worked with.
58 Heather Kirkland reflected on all of the events that she helped to organize.
59 Desserts were mini tartletts and truffles.
60 The custard-filled waffle cones were excellent.
61 Nila Cabezudo - Accounts Payable Coordinator
62 Housekeeping crew - Yolanda Burgos, Aida Ibarra, Ana Velasquez, and Adrianna Weisberg
63 Posing with Lucinda Scala Quinn - SVP Exec Editorial Director of Food
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
Congratulations to all the Decaders!!!! It must be an exciting place to work, no matter which job you do.
Martha, you look so nice in picture #1, and I like your outfit.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | January 30th, 2013 at 12:18 am
So many smiles and joy came out today through your post, that they made my day Martha, believe it or not! Thank you so much for sharing!
(and that tray with desserts!!! oh dear!!!!)
Posted by: Chris | January 30th, 2013 at 2:04 am
Martha,
Everyone looked so happy! What an honor to be honored! Congrats to everyone. Thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | January 30th, 2013 at 3:09 am
So glad these folks made it to this important moment in the passage of time. I am counting on all of you for more!
Posted by: Holiday Baker Man | January 30th, 2013 at 3:55 am
Congratulations to all your employees Martha, wonderful honoring them, they all deserve it. Looks like a cozy and lovely place and the food looks delicious. I love the photo of you with Darcy, Gael and Kevin. Best of luck and success to all
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | January 30th, 2013 at 4:06 am
Congratulations to all the 10+ year employees of MSLO!
Martha, I enjoy when you blog about your employee parties, it's nice to see some of the creative forces behind the Martha Stewart Brand. The atmosphere looked cozy, welcoming on such a cold night I'm sure, and the food looked delicious. You looked very pretty in your sweater and scarf and I love picture #43 of you and Sophie.
Posted by: Cindy F | January 30th, 2013 at 8:05 am
What a nice party to honor the employees. The food looks so good. I am sure everyone had a wonderful time. I would love to be one of your interns Martha! What a dream job to work for Martha!
Posted by: Lisa | January 30th, 2013 at 8:34 am
Hi Martha, I definitely want to honor every one of your fantastic employees who have worked so marvelously at MSLO for so many years! Every one of them is as dedicated as you are being involved in all of your Martha Brands! With out all of them and you, we wouldn't be able to purchase your fabulous products, read your outstanding magazines, see any of your TV shows, etc.! I love it all and your company is the best one that I know of! Every thing that all of you do really makes my life feel wonderful and each day is very special to enjoy your blog, tweets, etc.! How wonderful that you had this awesome party for so many of your companions! Every on of them looks so happy to be there and you look absolutely delighted and very happy, also! I love all of these terrific photos and you look so cute in all of them! It was easy to recognize so many of your companions! The Ze Cafe certainly was a great place to have the party and the foods must have been delicious! Thanks again for always sharing such great things with us-I love it all! Hope Francesca is continuing to be healthier and God Bless her, plus you and all of your family, the animals, and your employees! Hope you all have another great day! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | January 30th, 2013 at 9:21 am
So so nice of you Martha, what would we do without our employees... Also, wonder why all the Radio Shows on Sirius are all OLD REPEATS? We keep hearing your one Ask Martha Show over and over..... Most people buy a subscription to Sirius to hear you.....Ugh
Posted by: Arlene | January 30th, 2013 at 9:38 am
( : Gorgeous in pic 1 : )
Posted by: Billions F. Bliss | January 30th, 2013 at 9:47 am
How inspiring, Martha. Bless you for your thoughtfulness and generosity.
My lifelong dream is for me and my sweet husband to meet you one day - you're an inspiration!
Posted by: Barb | January 30th, 2013 at 9:58 am
Martha.... what a wonderful way to honor the entire staff. You and your executive team show great heart in celebrating with everyone. Lots of smiles, food and what looks to be happy co-workers and friends. The humanity of your staff and their leader is clearly demonstrated in these pics!
Posted by: Debbie | January 30th, 2013 at 10:16 am
Hi Martha,
Looks like a wonderful party! Congratulations to your special group of 10 year plus employees of MSLO. I love seeing all the faces behind the company. Everything about all your magazines, books, shows, products etc. are so beautiful -- and so much of it is because of this talented group of people. Keep up the amazing work. It is simply the best.
Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Gordon-Miller | January 30th, 2013 at 10:20 am
Their talent brings my life joy! Many more years...
Posted by: E. Teresa Touey | January 30th, 2013 at 11:06 am
Congratulations to such an extraordinary group of employees! Thank you for what you do! What a lovely display of food and ambiance. How nice to have everyone speak. Best of luck to all!
Posted by: Susan VanFleteren | January 30th, 2013 at 11:10 am
I agree with Gloria, you and your outfit look great. Congratulations to all of your 10 year plus employees. It says good things about a company to have so many long-time employees. I think highly of the Martha brand. It represents quality, taste, cleanliness, organization and unpretentious style. It represents true functional style. I want to extend my sincere thanks to all that make the Martha brand what it is. Thank you!
Posted by: Cindy M | January 30th, 2013 at 11:14 am
Congratulations to you and all your company! A special way to celebrate!
Angela
Posted by: Angela | January 30th, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Congratulations to you, and the powerful team that represents you!
You never fail to amaze me, Martha! So many successful companies often overlook opportunities to show appreciation to their loyal, hardwoeking staff.
Those in attendance should feel fortunate to be given this honor, indeed!
How I envy them!
Posted by: barbara Mayer | January 30th, 2013 at 1:46 pm
You were wearing a very nice jacket, Martha!
Posted by: Marit Røttingsnes Westlie | January 30th, 2013 at 2:54 pm
Nice to see that you treat your employees so nicely!
Posted by: nancy reid | January 30th, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Martha, your group of employees looks wonderful and content. I am sure it is not always smooth-sailing running an empire like yours, however, your staff looks comfortable with one another and happy. Keep up your inspiring work!
Posted by: Francean Gospodarek | January 30th, 2013 at 3:15 pm
What a lovely gesture it is that you shared this special occasion with all of us Martha. Congratulations everyone. You're dedication is admirable. Really enjoyed viewing your memorable evening. The food and drinks looks absolutely scrumptious. The flowers are stunning too. From the gloriosa lillies to the amaryllis blooms, poppies and tulips, they all are a gentle reminder that mother earth will awaken from her slumber soon. Are those rosemary topiaries? If so, what a lovely scent to have linger and such a great idea. It's actually inspired me to get some growing for sculpting this summer. What's the name of the red blooming tree in the background? It's so pretty.
Posted by: Jennifer McHenry | January 30th, 2013 at 4:20 pm
Hi Martha,
Great blog - looks like old home week seeing people we don't see very often like Judy Morris and your brother George's wife Rita Christensen. We don't see George anymore either! I've always liked the idea of you honoring your 10 year employees. No one I ever worked for did that for me but then we weren't like family like you seem to be with those in your company. That's just plain nice! Thanks for all the great pictures and once again for making me HUNGRY! You look fantastic in picture #1 - that shade of brown is definitely your color! Trish
Posted by: Trish | January 30th, 2013 at 4:33 pm
Congratulations to your long--time faithful employees who help make your show such a success....I have been a fan of yours for many years now and I hate it that you're not on HALLMARK CHANNEL any more....Where can I find you?
Posted by: Jacque Homan | January 30th, 2013 at 7:12 pm
Such lucky employees to be working for MSLO! And to be honored by you for their ten plus years of work. Wow! I was laid off from a compny after eighteen years without even a kind word of appreciation. I don't understand why employers have to be so cold and impersonal nowadays. I find it so refreshing how you treat your employees. Congratulations to them all. Continue the good work for all of us to enjoy.
Posted by: Madmimi | January 30th, 2013 at 8:18 pm
MARTHA---There is no team on Planet Earth more talented, more inspiring and more gifted than yours at MSO. Thank you for sharing all of your (& certainly their) gifts with all of us! You HAVE to be among the most interesting people I have ever been fortunate to be exposed to! Thanks to you & all at MSO for all of your wonderful, enlightening and certainly inspiring works!!!
Posted by: Jonathan Brown | January 30th, 2013 at 9:26 pm
Hi, there, Martha,
What a very nice event, gorgeous venue, and yummy looking dinner! Everyone looked like they were having a very lovely time!
Posted by: Bobbie | January 31st, 2013 at 2:46 am
tres jolie
Posted by: baba ali gueye west africa senegal | January 31st, 2013 at 11:51 am
Your face/ skin looks awesome...so bright and firm.
Posted by: Liz | January 31st, 2013 at 12:47 pm
Congratulations to all these dedicated and passionate employees of MSLO! What a wonderful milestone to celebrate! I love your blog posts about your employee parties, it's always nice to see the many faces (and many familiar names) behind the Martha Stewart Brand. Looks like it was a lovely party - cozy atmosphere, delicious food and wonderful guests.
Posted by: Whitney | January 31st, 2013 at 12:58 pm
How nice of you to do this for staff. Make sure they all get a ten year ring, because they married Martha Stewart Living. Engrave all the rings in back with Martha Stewart Living.
Posted by: Charlyne Arsenault | January 31st, 2013 at 2:44 pm
Congratulations to you, Martha! You've been doing such awesome job. Thanks to all these dedicated and passionate employees. I love to see those pictures on FB which make me feel how wonderful our life is. Wow! It's been 10 years for Martha Stewart Living? So great! I'm looking forward to see more beautiful every tiny little thing you are going to present. Thank you. Laura from pearlacce
Posted by: Laura | February 1st, 2013 at 1:13 am
Martha- it so nice of you to recognize the hard work of your employees. Recognizing hard work is not only appreciated, but makes for loyal employees. Your staff certainly looks happy to be celebrating 10 years with Martha Stewart Living. These days 10 years is quite a milestone. Keep up the good work. Thank you for sharing.
Posted by: Diane P | February 1st, 2013 at 9:05 pm
Well done it Martha ...
Posted by: Iulian Cristea | February 4th, 2013 at 2:33 am
All the Ask Martha I'm hearing on Sirius are old repeats that Keep repeating! What's up?
Posted by: Christine T. | February 4th, 2013 at 5:45 pm