Editor’s Letter: This Is Us

Hi, everyone!

I’m the new editor of PACIFIC, and I sort of can’t believe it.

As a kid growing up in Chula Vista, I worshipped magazines. Every month, I’d trek down a very steep hill to raid the Vons magazine rack and buy as many titles as I could carry back. My staples were Vogue for the fancy ads that doubled as posters; Sassy, then Jane for the writers who felt like friends; Spin for my music news; and Cosmopolitan for the quizzes and (questionable) dating advice.

And now, here I am, writing my own editor’s note letter.

My goal at PACIFIC is that you feel that same kind of teen giddiness when you see our magazine on the racks. I have lots of plans, like including more articles about unique San Diegans, highlighting local artists and creating neighborhood guides and food roundups. Of course, our trademark photo galleries, event listings, happy hours and contests aren’t going anywhere.

Luckily, I inherited a smart, quirky and talented staff to help make it all happen. And fun fact: Four of us are San Diego natives!

The team of PACIFIC Magazine reads the September 2019 issue together. (Not pictured: Katie Musolf)

(Eduardo Contreras/The San Diego Union-Tribune)

I’ve been writing about San Diego’s arts and entertainment since my days at San Diego State University, eventually working as an entertainment reporter at the San Diego Union-Tribune, then on to KPBS to focus on arts for radio, TV and online.

Managing editor Jennifer Ianni (from the former University of San Diego High), is the heart of PACIFIC, plus she has encyclopedic knowledge about pretty much anything that’s cool or that we don’t even know is cool yet.

Staff writer Sara Butler (Steele Canyon High) has impeccable taste in music and she makes her print debut this month with a Dia de los Muertos roundup.

Then there’s our super stylish and savvy sales team, Katie Musolf, Pamela Razo (Chula Vista High) and John Vaccaro.

Together with the brilliant editors, writers, photographers and designers from the San Diego Union-Tribune, and our dedicated freelancers, we’re able to put together this beautiful magazine. I’m excited for its future, and I hope you are, too.

—Nina Garin (Bonita Vista High)