Linda Herold Rang My Doorbell

I met Linda Herold for the first time on a hot, sultry late summer day.  We had arranged to meet for breakfast at the Ritz-Carlton, Phoenix.  I was glowing with perspiration, sporting a silk blouse firmly plastered to my damp skin and hair in full frizz from monsoon humidity.  Linda was sublime, gracious, cool and non-effected by our summer oven.
We chatted about my vision for Frontdoors and connecting people across our Valley by delivering our publication to their front door.  Frontdoors reflected my desire to continue a family legacy that I had somewhat shunned, if not all together ignored.  Linda understood this.  Most importantly, we seemed to share a common respect for the power connectivity affords us.
In all honesty, I never saw our publication covering society in the traditional sense.  I did not think that a Social Editor had a place on our pages.  I scoffed at the notion of writing about galas or parties.  Having grown up on the rubber chicken circuit, covering society was not my idea of journalism.  But, I was wrong.
We engaged Linda to be the Frontdoors Social Editor and it clicked with the community immediately.  Linda had a canny ability to navigate a room like no other, snap wonderful images and bring a nonprofit’s message to the public.
There were nights when we literally covered five, six and even seven events.  Dressed to the nines, Linda was the perfect guest, attentive table companion and champion of all things philanthropic.  She was comfortable rubbing shoulders with the Valley’s vanguards as well as harried valet boys.
Over the years, we laughed a lot and cried a bit.  Linda has a wicked sense of humor, wonderful depth of knowledge and compassion that is boundless.  She had been with me at tremendous highs and phenomenal lows.  In fact, she has taught me grand lessons of grace, fortitude and wisdom.  Like many women in our Valley, Linda connected me to the power of inclusion, generative thinking and leadership.
If you think Linda Herold is retiring.  Think again.  This is a woman who will never stop being who she is and working hard to elevate her community.  Truth be told, I have been the recipient of her grace on many occasions and I hope it continues.
So even on those hot, sweaty days where I breathlessly think that I am going to melt from it all, I will think of the Social Editor and those cool blue eyes that have witnessed the transformation of our Valley.  Going forward, I know Linda Herold will grace our city with her viewpoint.  After all, we still have so much connective work to do.
From the Heart…