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Allan & Cathy Lipsett,
Publishers of The Bright Side Newspapers,
Are Georgia’s Small Business Journalists of the Year
Allan and Cathy Lipsett, publishers of
The Bright Side Newspapers in Cobb County, have been named
the 2007 Small Business Journalists of the Year by the U.S.
Small Business Administration.
The husband and wife team received
their Champion Journalism Award from Terri L. Denison, SBA
Georgia District Director, in May at an Atlanta luncheon
hosted by the Georgia Lenders Quality Circle. They were
nominated for the statewide award by the Kennesaw State
University Small Business Development Center (SBDC).
The award goes to journalists who make
a concerted effort to increase the public’s understanding of
the importance of small business to the economy. Voluntary
community service by a journalist also plays a part in
the award selection.
“Community newspapers are all about the
people and the stories they have to tell,” said Lydia C.
Jones, Director of the Kennesaw Small Business Development
Center. “The Lipsetts are continuing a tradition of
featuring local business news with their Bright Side
publications.”
The Lipsetts established Lipsett and
Associates Inc. in 1992. Today, it is the parent company of
a public relations firm, an advertising agency and two
community newspapers, The Bright Side of Smyrna/Vinings,
founded in 2005 and The Bright Side of South Cobb, founded
in 2006.
Both newspapers focus their articles on
the services and products of businesses in their local
communities with heavy coverage of small business success
stories along with the activities of organizations such as
the Smyrna Business Association, the Vinings Business
Association and the South Cobb Business Association.
“The Smyrna/Vinings Bright Side has
played a significant role in helping enhance communications
between our neighborhoods and the business community,” noted
Bill Cooper, President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber of
Commerce, in a letter supporting the Lipsetts’ nomination.
Cathy and Allan Lipsett are both former
newspaper editors and publishers with experience in
reporting, editing and business management. They worked
jointly for 13 years as owners and publishers of The
Southeast Georgian, a weekly newspaper in coastal Georgia,
before selling the newspaper and returning to Atlanta. They
are also former owners of the Forsyth Forum in Cumming,
Georgia.
In addition to her newspaper career, Cathy Lipsett served on
the Marietta City Schools Board of Education for eight
years, including chairman in 1992. Prior to her ownership of
the Southeast Georgia, she was assistant editor of the
Presbyterian Survey magazine and advertising service manager
for the Georgia Press Association.
Allan Lipsett served six years as press
secretary for former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Before
that, he was an account executive at Knapp Inc. Corporate
Communications and metro editor of the Marietta Daily
Journal. Prior to ownership of The Southeast Georgian, he
was a reporter and editor at the Clayton News/Daily and the
Warner Robins Daily Sun.
Cathy and Allan Lipsett are both
graduates of Georgia State University.
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SMYRNA BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION NAMES
CATHY, ALLAN LIPSETT
BUSINESS PERSONS
OF YEAR
Steve Clair
presented the annual Smyrna Business Association's
businessperson of the year award to Bright Side owners and
publishers Allan and Cathy Lipsett at the organization's
June meeting.
This annual
award recognizes a local business owner for their business
and civic contributions to the Smyrna community. Nominees
were solicited from members, and the winner was chosen by a
committee of past award winners.
"This year,
we are breaking from our traditional award to an individual,
in order to recognize two individuals that are truly
partners in their business and their life. This husband and
wife team actually has two businesses located in Smyrna
under the parent company of Lipsett & Associates, Inc.: one
is a very successful Public Relations firm, and the other,
for which most of us know them, a local newspaper called The
Bright Side," said Clair in presenting the award.
The
Lipsetts established Lipsett and Associates Inc. in 1992.
Today, it is the parent company of a public relations firm,
an advertising agency and two community newspapers, The
Bright Side of Smyrna/Vinings, founded in 2005 and The
Bright Side of South Cobb, founded in 2006. Both newspapers
focus their articles on the services and products of
businesses in their local communities, with heavy coverage
of small business success stories along with the activities
of organizations such as the Smyrna Business Association.
Both Allan
and Cathy have been journalists their entire careers as well
as actively involved in their community. They jointly
published The Southeast Georgian in Camden County and later
The Forum in Forsyth County. In addition to her newspaper
career, Cathy Lipsett served on the Marietta City Schools
Board of Education for eight years.
Allan
Lipsett served six years as press secretary for former House
Speaker Newt Gingrich. After selling The Southeast Georgian,
he was metro editor of the Marietta Daily Journal. They are
both active members of First Presbyterian Church of
Marietta.
Cathy and
Allan are both graduates of Georgia State University with
degrees in journalism. The U.S. Small Business
Administration recently recognized them as 2007 Small
Business Journalists of the Year for the state of Georgia.
"Through
their publications and community involvement, Cathy and
Allan Lipsett seem to easily transfer their positive and
upbeat attitude to their stories and everyone around them,"
said Steve Clair, a former winner of the Smyrna Business
Association Award in 2006.
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