In This Article View All In This Article Who We Are Our Team Fact Checkers Recipe Testing Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden Awards Diversity and Inclusion Editorial Guidelines Data Analytics and Insights What Our Readers Say About Dotdash Meredith Contact Us About Us Who We Are For nearly 40 years, Midwest Living has been the definitive voice of the American Midwest region. We curate travel, food, shelter and lifestyle content that you won't find anywhere else. We are smart, witty, bold, diverse and loudly, proudly Midwestern. Through award-winning storytelling and service, we aim to inspire our audience to explore, adventure, learn, cook, create and grow—on the road and at home. Our Team Kylee Krizmanic Kylee is editor in chief of Meredith's Midwest Living. She leads the creative and editorial vision for both the brand's lifestyle magazine, which reaches 4.1 million readers, and its custom content studio. Under her leadership, Midwest Living and Dotdash Meredith Travel have been recognized for outstanding editorial, design and photography, winning numerous national awards. Krizmanic has been recognized as a 40 Under 40, named to FOLIO's Top Women in Media and was recently named the Editorial Director of the Year. Read more Hannah Agran Hannah Agran is executive editor at Midwest Living, where she oversees travel, food, home, garden and culture content. Born in Wisconsin, raised in Ohio, and now living in Iowa, she's a proud lifelong Midwesterner (aside from that stint in Massachusetts for a B.A. in American Studies from Brandeis University). On her off time, she loves to travel, here and abroad. Read more Julia Sayers Gokhale Julia Sayers Gokhale is the travel editor at Midwest Living, where she gets to traverse the region and share its fascinating stories. Born and raised in the South, Julia is embracing her new identity as a Midwesterner. She previously was editor in chief of Birmingham Magazine and prior to that spent two years working—and eating—with celebrity chef Paula Deen. Read more Allison Vancura Allison Vancura is the digital editor at Midwest Living and Meredith Travel Marketing, where she covers travel, decorating and all things Midwest. She holds a B.A. in journalism and graphic design from Drake University in Des Moines, and was previously a home and lifestyle editor at Better Homes and Gardens and BHG.com. Read more Gary Thompson Gary Thompson is senior staff writer at Midwest Living and Dotdash Meredith Travel, where he gets paid to play with words while writing about all sorts of interesting people, places and things in the Midwest and beyond. Not bad for a shy kid who was born in Kansas and grew up in Davenport, Iowa, reading his Dad's newspapers and his Mom's "women's" magazines. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in journalism from Drake University and been writing professionally for more than 30 years. Read more Joie Probst Joie Probst is the assistant editor for social and digital at Midwest Living and Dotdash Meredith Travel, where she writes and creates unique content across social platforms for the brands. A lifelong Iowan (aside from two years teaching English in Spain!), she holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and international studies from the University of Iowa. Read more Diane Penningroth Diane Penningroth is the lead copy editor for Midwest Living and Dotdash Meredith Travel. She began her career journey with a B.A. in human resources management from the University of Northern Iowa, but made the professional switch from working with people to words in 2006. Her experience includes copy editing or editing books, magazines, marketing publications and various other print and web material. Read more Mary-Beth Rouse Mary-Beth Rouse has worked as an art director at Meredith Corporation for more than 20 years, first in the Better Homes and Gardens family of brands, and now as Creative Director of Midwest Living magazine. She has a passion for publication design, and the way every piece of the visual and editorial puzzle leads to a successful layout. She graduated from Drake University in 2002 and grew up in the Chicago area. Now she lives in Des Moines, where she loves to run, travel, camp, ski (both water and snow!) and road-trip to find hidden Midwest gems. Read more Erin Keeffer Erin Keeffer is an assistant art director at Midwest Living and Dotdash Meredith Travel, working on print and digital pieces. She holds a B.F.A. in graphic design from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and was previously a graphic designer for the Meredith Garden Group. Born and raised in Galena, Illinois, Read more Ruby Pierce Ruby Pierce is a senior graphic designer at Midwest Living and Dotdash Meredith Travel, serving both print and digital. She holds a B.F.A. in graphic design from Iowa State University (Go Cyclones!) and couldn't imagine herself in any other career. Read more Ginger Crichton Ginger Crichton is a contributing editor for Midwest Living and Dotdash Meredith Travel, and has worked for the brands in various roles since 2008. She has more than 30 years' experience as a journalist, including editing and writing for both magazines and newspapers. A native Virginian, she holds a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia. Read more Teresa Woodard Teresa Woodard is contributing garden editor at Midwest Living where she covers everything from houseplants and bonsai to daffodils and peonies. A lifelong Ohioan (except for her college days studying journalism at Indiana University), she gardens on two acres outside Columbus. She also teaches youth about growing food at an urban community garden and is working on a book project about American garden design. Read more John Meek, Deputy Art Director John Meek is the deputy art director at Midwest Living, where he develops story concepts and page design direction, manages image enhancement work and prepress process specific to travel visual content. He's been with Dotdash Meredith for more than 20 years, the last 17 of which have been at Midwest Living. Fact Checkers Midwest Living's team of experienced, editorially-vetted fact-checkers provides an essential layer of review to ensure destinations, events and attractions are accurately represented. Our professional fact-checkers are tasked with researching all statements of fact and verifying the technical details of each story with authentic sources. This rigorous review process enables our brand to advise on travel throughout the region and serve our readers the most robust, well-researched and comprehensive content possible. Recipe Testing Our Test Kitchen in Des Moines, Iowa, has been operational since 1928 and is the oldest media company test kitchen in the United States. It features 10 galley kitchens, two dining-room style tasting rooms, and an outdoor grilling area to simulate the spaces and equipment used by home cooks. Each year, the Test Kitchen develops and tests more than 2,500 recipes and produces more than 2,500 images and 1,000 videos to support brands, including Midwest Living, Better Homes & Gardens, Parents, REAL SIMPLE, AllRecipes and Martha Stewart Living. The Test Kitchen staff has more than 180 years of cumulative experience and is composed of trained professionals with B.S. degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Each nutrition specialist is a registered and licensed dietician. Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden The Better Homes and Gardens Test Garden in Des Moines, Iowa, serves gardeners nationwide by offering garden-tested information about gardening methods, plants, garden projects and ideas. The Test Garden's 22 distinct areas and more than 2,500 plants, trees and shrubs are designed to showcase a variety of garden styles and climates. Awards 2022 FOLIO Eddie WINNER, Best Full Issue—Regional, Midwest Living, Spring IssueFOLIO Ozzie WINNER, Best Full Issue—Regional, Midwest Living, Winter IssueSATW Lowell Thomas GOLD AWARD, Travel Coverage 2021 International Association of Culinary Professionals FINALIST, Food Section Over 500KFOLIO Eddie Best Custom Content—Fewer than 6 issues, North Carolina Travel GuideFOLIO Ozzie Best Regional Magazine, Midwest Living the Water IssueSATW Lowell Thomas Silver Award, Travel CoverageESTO Mercury Award, West Virginia Travel Guide 2020 SATW Lowell Thomas SILVER AWARD, Travel CoverageFOLIO Editorial Content Director of the Year WINNER, Kylee KrizmanicFOLIO Eddie Winner, Magazine Launch/Content Marketing, West Virginia Vacation GuideFOLIO Range of Work by a Single Author WINNER, Hannah AgranFOLIO Eddie WINNER, Best Full Issue—Regional, Midwest Living, March/April issueFOLIO Ozzie Honorable Mention, Design Single Issue, Midwest Living, March/April issueFOLIO Ozzie Honorable Mention, Design Single Issue—Custom Content, Travel NevadaInternational Association of Culinary Professionals, Food Styling in a Commercial Food Photograph, Charlie WorthingtonInternational Association of Culinary Professionals, Food, Dining and Culinary Travel 2019 ESTO Mercury Award, Meredith Travel + Visit North Carolina + LGA AgencyFOLIO Eddie Finalist, Nevada TravelFOLIO Ozzie Finalist, Meredith Travel + Arizona Office of TourismAssociation of Food Journalists, Best Non-Newspaper Feature, Hannah Agran and Andrew Zimmern 2018 MPA Kelly Awards, Finalist for Best Magazine Media Creative, Road Rally—IndianaAssociation of Food Journalists, Magazine Food coverage across multiple issuesAssociation of Food Journalists, Best Food Coverage in a magazine, 3rd place, Hannah AgranAssociation of Food Journalists, Best Food Photo, First Place, Blaine MoatsAssociation of Food Journalists, Best Food Photo, 3rd place, Blaine MoatsFOLIO Editorial Team of the Year Finalist, Midwest LivingA.H. Pankow AwardTop Women in Media, Creative Director, Kylee KrizmanicE.T. Meredith Awards for Creative Excellence, General Excellence in Photography, NevadaSATW Lowell Thomas GOLD AWARD, Video Travel Broadcast, Kylee KrizmanicSioux City International Film FestivalESTO Mercury Awards Finalist, Visit California Travel GuideFOLIO Eddie Winner, Nevada Arts Culture and Heritage GuideFOLIO Eddie Winner, Midwest Living documentary series 2017 ESTO National Travel Mercury Award FINALIST, North Carolina Travel GuideE.T. Meredith Awards, creative and marketing excellence, Road Rally 2016 Great Plains Journalism Awards, Magazine of the Year Diversity and Inclusion At Midwest Living, we cherish all the voices, stories, faces and experiences that make up the Midwest. We recognize that as a national media brand, our platforms are powerful, and so we use them to open doors, promote tolerance and inspire curiosity. Our content showcases our region's diversity, and we are committed to hiring contributors of varied backgrounds and beliefs. We celebrate those leaders in our communities who are working daily to combat injustice, racism and homophobia. And we humbly admit that our work is never done. We are here to listen, learn and continuously strive to do better. Editorial Guidelines We are committed to quality, accurate and current editorial coverage at Midwest Living. Our team of writers, editors, fact-checkers, designers, photographers, videographers and experts meticulously researches and reviews all editorial content to best serve our audience, ensure compliance with our strict standards and represent the Midwest. Our experienced editors check for readability, formatting, spelling and grammar, photo and screenshot quality, inclusive language and imagery, and much more. At Midwest Living, we aspire to provide the highest quality content produced by humans, for humans. It is against our guidelines to publish automatically generated content using AI (artificial intelligence) writing tools such as ChatGPT. Read our full integrity promise including our policies on accuracy and corrections, fact checking, independence and impartiality, and originality, which are aligned with the Dotdash Meredith Content Integrity Promise. Data Analytics and Insights Each year, the Dotdash Meredith Data Analytics and Insights team produces more than 60 trend reports across 12 verticals. Predictive Trend Reports help editors across the company learn about emerging trends and shifting consumer behaviors to help drive future content creation and anticipated engagement. Predictive Trend Reports are also shared with premium brand partners to inform growth and awareness strategies. What Our Readers Say "I wanted to write to tell you how much I've enjoyed the January/February issue of Midwest Living. I really felt you pivoted your editorial content from featuring places, events and travel to people (but also included all of those things). Only a woman editor would determine that featuring women in the magazine would be something fresh and inspiring. I've got on my list to visit the Flour House Bakers and Coffee in Princeton, Illinois, when it's safe to travel again. My public library has ordered Hudson Bay Bound at my request, and I've subscribed to Hear Her Sports podcast. I'm gushing, but you get the idea. I am a fan of this issue. Kudos to you and your staff—keep it up! Look forward to more in this 35th year of Midwest Living." —Carole, IL – "We are on our first big road trip since COVID, and bringing a stack of magazines and reading through Midwest Living! I always enjoy reading your editorial. Thanks for bringing your creative self to each issue. Each one has been informative and an opportunity to discover new places and artists. Just wanted to say thanks!" —Rebekah, Oak Park IL – "I just want to let you know how much I am enjoying Midwest Living magazine. I really enjoy "lifestyle" magazines—Living, Southern Living, Coastal Living, Cottage Living, etc… Two issues ago, you had an article about a summer getaway to Akron, Ohio. Part of the article was about the scenic train ride through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It sounded great. My spouse and I have booked a fly/drive trip for October. (Buffalo-Cleveland-Buffalo). We will be leaving from Rockside Station. Thank you for bringing this part of the country to my attention. "In addition, I really enjoyed the article in the latest issue about the road trips that your staff took last year. I have lived in downstate New York my entire life. I am embarrassed to admit how oblivious I had been about the wonderful state park system in NY State until I took a road trip to the Finger Lakes region last fall—definitely a pandemic-induced choice. The trip was amazing, and your article about road trips close to home should be a reminder to your readers that enjoyable trips can be made relatively locally with the possible extra bonus of keeping your travel dollars in-state. "So, great magazine. Keep up the good work!" —Lorraine, NY – "I really appreciate that you focus so much on writing about and supporting local small artists and businesses, because it really does make an impact, especially right now when things are tough." —Katie, Michigan UP – "I wanted to reach out and thank you for your generosity and for the opportunity to be included in September's issue of Midwest Living magazine. We're already seeing an increase in traffic, both from new teachers signing up to use the platform and from new visitors. Often, great instrument donation and community support stories come from highlights like this one. I'll be sure to share more stories as they happen. Thank you for shining a light on our good work." —Caitlin, Vega Instruments in the Cloud About Dotdash Meredith Dotdash Meredith is the largest digital and print publisher in America. From mobile to magazines, nearly 200 million people trust us to help them make decisions, take action and find inspiration. Dotdash Meredith's over 50 iconic brands include Midwest Living, PEOPLE, Better Homes & Gardens, Verywell, FOOD & WINE, The Spruce, Allrecipes, Byrdie, REAL SIMPLE, Investopedia, Southern Living and more. Contact Us Want to stay in the know with all things Midwest Living? Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Do you have questions or feedback for Midwest Living's editorial team? We look forward to hearing from you: midwest.living@dotdashmdp.com. For customer service and subscription inquiries, please email mwlcustserv@cdsfulfillment.com. If you'd rather call or send a letter to our Des Moines office, you can reach us at 515/284-3000 or 1716 Locust St., Des Moines, IA 50309.