When Dana Storm, senior manager of advertising sales for Parks & Recreation Magazine, came on board at NRPA last summer, she had some pretty big shoes to fill. Prior to her hiring, the magazine had contracted with outside agencies to sell and manage advertising for the magazine, and multiple salespeople worked to generate revenue for the publication. However, the magazine’s new publisher thought it would be better to bring in a dedicated individual who could fully understand NRPA’s mission and devote all of their energy toward the association’s flagship publication. After considering dozens of candidates and setting new advertising targets, Storm was hired, and she has continually surpassed sales goals. The revenue she has brought to the publication has given flexibility for improvements, such as the separate Field Guide included with this issue — a marked improvement over last year’s incorporated Buyer’s Guide.
“Since Dana has come on board, our advertisers have a better understanding of the industry, our members and their needs,” says her supervisor, Gina Mullins-Cohen. “She is friendly, intelligent and persistent, which are strong and necessary qualities for an advertising manager to have.”
A teacher by training, Storm came into advertising sales “by accident,” she says. A publisher she knew needed help improving the success of his magazine, so she jumped in and found she had a knack for building relationships with advertisers. Since that first foray into ad sales more than 10 years ago, she has worked at newspapers, magazines and online publications, so she understands the broad spectrum of client advertising needs and makes customer service a priority. When reaching out to potential advertisers, she considers the needs of NRPA’s members and does her best to make connections with companies that members would find useful.
“I want to help the magazine be the best in the industry for our members,” Storm says. “Parks and recreation is a field I have always supported, and I like being involved in bettering lives with conservation, health and wellness, and social equity.”
Storm is the proud mother of three daughters in their late teens and early 20s, two of whom are currently studying at the University of Virginia. To help fill her newly empty nest, her daughters gifted her with Holly, a border terrier puppy, this past Christmas, and the pup has been Storm’s constant companion ever since. The two live in Berryville, Virginia.
Danielle Taylor is the Senior Editor of Parks & Recreation Magazine.