People
Our team is comprised of local Astoria and Long Island City residents. Some of them are born-and-bred New Yorkers who’ve called the area home for years; others are transplants who’ve come to embrace everything the neighborhoods have to offer. Collectively, we’re a team that embodies diversity, a collage of background, talents and vocations united by a singular passion: to serve and better the Astoria/Long Island City community.
Our Team:
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Founder, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
Julian Kirk Lesser
Letter From the Editor – January 2013:
Dear Western Queens,
Happy New Year! In this month’s issue we’re covering all things NEW! Our neighborhood is a continuously developing hot spot for restaurants, nightlife, art and inspiration. Check out all the NEW things we’ve uncovered in this issue.
I’m excited to announce, beginning February 2013, Matthew Taylor will be our new Editor-In-Chief. Matthew has worked hand-in-hand with me over a year consistently improving our publication. While this is my last issue as editor-in-chief, I will remain BORO’s founder, publisher and CEO – staying involved in the day to day operations. I’ll be shifting my focus to the growth and expansion of BORO, generating new partnerships and exploring new initiatives to support Western Queens.
Wishing you a wonderful 2013 – filled with excitement and inspiration.
-Julian
PS. Keep sending us your ideas and opinions!
EMAIL: info@BOROmag.com
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Art Director
Philippe Trinh
Philippe Trinh is a Menswear Designer / Graphic Designer specializing in luxury fashion and beauty. Philippe holds a BFA in menswear design from Kent State University and currently resides in Astoria, NY.
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Art Director
Alt
Alt is a graphic designer // production designer // photographer in NYC. Find out more at http://www.altportfolio.com/grad.html
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Distribution Manager
Sadee Brathwaite
Sadee Brathwaite is an artist, curator, and administrative professional with extensive experience in communications. She studied art history at Kingston University in London and holds a BFA in Painting/ Drawing from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is the founder of La Leona Arts, an organization specializing in promoting artistic initiatives, community development and creative consulting. www.laleonaarts.com
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Writing Editor
Norm Elrod
Norm Elrod is a digital media consultant, editor and freelance writer who’s contributed to Search Engine Watch, SmartBlog on Social Media, AOL and Salon. He blogs about his experiences in the job market at Jobless and Less, which has been featured in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and on NPR and NY1. His marketing experience includes positions with Acronym Media, The NPD Group and Sony Music Entertainment. Norm holds a BA from Franklin & Marshall College and an MBA from Fordham University. He lives with his wife and two cats in Queens.
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Creative Design Director
Paul Connolly
Paul Connolly is Art Director and Package Designer by trade and pastry chef at heart.
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Layout Designer
Emma Cason-Pratt
Graphic designer and illustrator
www.HyphenatedDesign.com
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Online Editorial Coordinator
Matthew Taylor
Matthew Taylor is originally from California and currently lives in Long Island City. When he isn’t writing short stories or working on projects for BORO, he can be found pedaling around Manhattan’s Upper East Side as a shellfish delivery boy.
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Sales and Marketing
Nadine Auerbach
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Staff Writer
Ben Mims
Ben Mims has been in Astoria since moving to New York in 2007 from Mississippi. During the daytime, he writes and develops, edits, and tests recipes for a food magazine in the city.
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Staff Writer
Mickey Z.
Born and raised in Astoria, Mickey Z. is probably the only person on the planet to appear in a karate flick with Billy Blanks and a radical book with Howard Zinn. He is the author of 9 books (6 non-fiction, 2 novels) and his third novel, “Darker Shade of Green,” will be released in 2011. Most recently, he received a Project Censored award for his article exposing pollution by the U.S. military. Mickey can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.
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Staff Writer
Rebecca McNamara
Rebecca is an Astoria transplant by way of New Jersey and Boston, Massachusetts. In addition to being a freelance writer, she is an editor for an arts and design publisher in Manhattan.
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Staff Writer
Christopher de la Torre
Scientist. Writer. Journalist. Photographer. Christopher has worn a few hats over the years; he’s most content with a gig that integrates all of these, but mostly he settles for a combination. He writes about culture, science and technology, and his photography has appeared in Vogue and other publications. His project Compass was named ‘model program’ by the U.S. Department of Education, and his graduate research explores new collaborative models of communication for science communities. Find out more at http://christopherdelatorre.com.
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Staff Writer
Suzanne Sitelman
Suzanne Sitelman is a writer/filmmaker who graduated with her MA in Media Studies at New School University. Her latest film, Norman Normal: A Modern Metamorphosis, was shown in festivals throughout the US, Canada and Europe, winning several local and international awards. For the past five years, Suzanne worked in online marketing as an editorial manager, supplying content for various websites and organizational newsletters. She was also a field producer for Transit Transit News, an Emmy award winning regional news program airing weekly on Channel 25. Currently, Suzanne lives in Astoria and is working on several film and documentary projects.
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Staff Writer
Jared Killeen
Jared Killeen has written about art, literature, and nightlife for a number of New York publications. When he’s not putting words onto a page, he works in book publishing.
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Staff Photographer
Daniel Pando
Daniel was introduced to the world of capturing images as a child by his family. The trips to the movies with his father and his grandmother’s family photos fed his dream to tell stories through images. Daniel has always been motivated by innovative technology and his childhood dream grew into a passion to push boundaries and set trends. After pursuing a bachelors in Film Sciences from Full Sail University in Florida, Daniel decided to move to New York City to seek out opportunities which would get him closer to that goal. With BORO he is able to capture the energy through both still and moving images of Astoria & Long Island City.
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Staff Photographer
Javier Alexander Ibañez
As a child, Javier was fascinated with magazines and would often draw and sketch models and figures from the images he found. His interest in drawing and reproducing beautiful images led him to develop a love for photography and, upon relocating to New York, he landed a position as an assistant on a fashion shoot. From that moment on, Javier knew what his passion in life was — to shoot the most memorable and intriguing images imaginable. When he’s not in search of the perfect picture, Javier enjoys listening to music or relaxing on the beach, his home away from home.
www.javieribanez.carbonmade.com
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Staff Photographer
Alex Marshall
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Contributing Writers:
Deena Marie Damianos
Aaron Monteabaro
Adam Lowber
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Webmaster
JanMichael Guzman
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