Love Where You Live

S+B Publisher Robin Brown / Photo: Cat Mayer

Topophilia — or love of place — is a concept introduced to me by Governor Hickenlooper last month when we met at the Capitol for an interview to discuss the urban-rural divide in Colorado. It’s what the governor sees as the economic development plan for the rural parts of the state still struggling to redefine our economies. If the people who love a place are the ones marketing that place, they will attract others — people and businesses — who are looking for the things that are unique to that place. Maybe it’s something tangible, like the visual beauty of an area. Or maybe it’s something a little less tangible, like the culture of the people who live there. Whatever it is, every community in Colorado has its own kind of topophilia and should capitalize on those characteristics to attract new business and tourism to their area.  

The Governor isn’t the only one in the state to buy into this concept. In December, I was hired on as the new executive director to the Grand Junction Economic Partnership — a job that I was not looking for, but an opportunity that I could not turn down. I was hired because of my love for this place we call Colorado’s Grand Valley. I look forward to serving this community and leading our economic development efforts.

Because of this unexpected but exciting change, we have shifted roles a bit here at Spoke+Blossom. Our writing and creative people will work as an editorial team, led by Cat Mayer, who will now serve as managing editor and creative director. The S+B team will carry on the vision that I originally had for a regional magazine promoting the western Colorado lifestyle. 

I’ll still be involved in S+B, but will be taking a step back to focus on my new role at GJEP.

Change is inevitable, but our topophilia for western Colorado 

remains the same. Happy 2018 from all of us at Spoke+Blossom, and thanks for reading!

Robin Brown

Publisher