CONTRIBUTORS
PREMIUM PUBLICATION EDITORIAL
DIRECTOR Jeanette Barrett-Stokes jbstokes@usatoday.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jerald Council jcouncil@usatoday.com MANAGING EDITOR Michelle Washington mjwashington@usatoday.com
SHAMEIKA RHYMES is a freelance writer based in Charlotte, N.C., who has written for Entertainment Tonight, Ebony and Shondaland. In this issue, she spoke with singer and actress Jordin Sparks about rediscovering her love of music (page 38), and with Jasmine Marie of Black Girls Breathing about self-care (page 78). “Jordin really showed your happy place can open up the doors to love when you least expect it, and that gives me hope.”
LISA A. BEACH is a freelance writer in Orlando, Fla., who covers health and wellness, travel, food and family for publications such as The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler and Good Housekeeping. She notes that, while the 2020 holiday season will likely look different, it might be the perfect opportunity to celebrate more mindfully and start a new tradition — protecting our planet with more sustainable choices (page 44).
ISSUE DESIGNER Debra Moore EDITORS Amy Sinatra Ayres Tracy Scott Forson Harry Lister Deirdre van Dyk Debbie Williams DESIGNERS Hayleigh Corkey David Hyde Gina Toole Saunders Lisa M. Zilka CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lisa A. Beach, Mary Helen Berg, Valerie Finholm, Jennifer Bradley Franklin, Margaret Buranen, Camilla Johnson Perry, Jessica Kasparian, Zoe King, Jacqueline Klecak, Cindy Kuzma, Lia Picard, Shameika Rhymes, Sarah Sekula, Kristen Seymour
ADVERTISING
VP, ADVERTISING Patrick Burke | (703) 854-5914 pburke@usatoday.com ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Vanessa Salvo | (703) 854-6499 vsalvo@usatoday.com
FINANCE
BILLING COORDINATOR Julie Marco
6
MODERN WOMAN | 2020
CAMILLA JOHNSON PERRY is a wife, mother, former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran who lives in Maryland. She has always been passionate about up-cycling antique furniture, but the COVID-19 quarantine prompted her to look inward and work on herself. So, she called it quits with her nail technician and hairstylist. She shares the pain of the breakup and the self-fulfillment of her breakthrough (page 76).
This is a product of
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved herein, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or reproduced in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written consent of USA TODAY. The editors and publisher are not responsible for any unsolicited materials. PRINTED IN THE USA
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @USATODAYMAGS FACEBOOK Facebook.com/usatodaymags
JON STRAYHORN; PROVIDED BY THE CONTRIBUTORS
MARY HELEN BERG is a Los Angeles-based journalist whose work has appeared in publications including USA TODAY, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek and AARP The Magazine. The “essential heroines” she interviewed about their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic (page 48) reminded her that “every one of us can think of something, no matter how small, to lift others up and help ease this difficult time.”