Hello, faithful readers! I apologize for my blogging absence, but once the final night of the pageant hit - I was out of the gate! Red eye flight home, then getting the February/March issue to print! And I am happy to report that it is at the printers as I type - one step closer to your mailbox!

This issue is pretty incredible. It's not every day that we get to celebrate 90 years of Miss America, after all! The cover features Miss ND 1997 Roxana Saberi who was a political prisoner in Iran for some time. Her story is incredible and I am very proud to be able to share it with you  guys.

What else is in the next issue? Well, a Special Report on the Miss America pageant, for one! There are some behind-the-scenes stuff and photos you've never seen, which I think you will love. The state feature is Oregon, and we are also featuring Miss New Mexico ED Carol Henry. All in all, I'm really proud of this issue (I am proud of all of them, of course) and if you aren't a subscriber, I really encourage you to do so.

Plus, if you don't subscribe, you will miss out on the April/May issue which will feature Miss America 2011  Teresa Scanlan on the cover! I had the chance to talk with her yesterday and I am so excited for her year of service.

The Miss America 2011 pageant was a really special thing to witness in person. I work with things related to the pageant on a daily basis, obviously, so on one level I am always aware of the impact of the organization. But being there in person to witness the enormity of its entire history was...unforgettable. Seeing all those former Miss America on stage was really overwhelming! Looking at those women and knowing that their lives were irrevocably (and positively) changed because of their involvement with the Miss America Organization was so special. And if you think about their entire class (all the Miss States) from their year, and then everyone who competed at the local level - it's astounding. You will never meet a young woman who competed in the Miss America system who will say that she isn't better off because of it.

Another really amazing thing was to think about how the pageant has changed over the years. It is our first ever reality television show, harking back to 1955. Some things have changed - only 90 seconds for talent, for example - but the basic principle of the pageant is the same. I wonder if Lenora Slaughter knew during her time with MAO that she was, in effect, changing the world? She was a very smart lady, so I am guessing that she had an inkling.

I am so grateful to work so closely with an organization that impacts the lives of young women every moment of every day.

Until next time!