Remembering Ellen Levine
By Liz Kaplow
Once in a while, you meet someone and their influence is so strong, their voice so singular, their opinion so clear that they leave a lasting mark. And that was my experience with Ellen Levine. From the time she was the editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping, through the years working together for New York Women in Communications, Ellen strove for excellence. And she inspired those around her to do the same.
Ellen Levine was a legend in our industry. She was a part of a generation of women who broke new ground and didn’t apologize for their opinions. She was a colleague and mentor to many, and it is my hope that the next generation of women in communications can benefit from her wisdom.
Ellen’s accomplishments paved the way for so many: from the first woman editor-in-chief of Good Housekeeping magazine, to helping create O, The Oprah Magazine, to her important role as Editorial Director of Hearst where she developed so many publications. She cared about truth in journalism and she put the reader first.
Ellen applied that same dedication to her contributions to New York Women in Communications, and it left a lasting affect. What I remember most was her determination to upholding the credibility of our organization’s Matrix Awards that began in 1970, with Gloria Steinem as one of the recipients. Ellen received a Matrix in 1989 and continued her commitment to NYWICI, providing guidance and a strong editorial point of view. In 2013, when I became president of the organization, I began working closely with Ellen to ensure that the tremendous authority of The Matrix Awards would continue. Ellen added a strong point of view and opinion, which brought with it discussion, debate and ultimately a stellar roster each year. Looking back, it was clear that no one cared more.
No matter how much the business of communications and the media landscape changed, Ellen really stood up for the representation of excellence in journalism. And so during our recent Matrix Awards I thought of her. She would have been incredibly proud of our organization – where women come together from every area of communications to celebrate the very same excellence she herself embodied.
One of the things I love most about NYWICI is that it is intergenerational. It represents women from across the fields of editorial, publishing, media, advertising, public relations and music, as well as arts and entertainment. We are also an organization of “learners” and our scholarship program has proved that we are working to cultivate the next generation of professionals in the field. So, here are some of the things that I believe Ellen would want us to know and remember:
Put your audience first: Whether it’s the reader, the user, or the NYWICI member, Ellen believed in starting with the audience and understanding the impact you have on them.
Be prepared when you walk into the room. On committees we worked on together, Ellen would wear her editorial hat and ask questions, poke holes and debate. By doing so, we were sure that the outcomes were solid.
Persistence counts. Don’t give up on your ideas. Test it out first, be ready, and then when you present it, be 100 percent filled with conviction. That is how it gets done.
Always take time to mentor. I can’t tell you how many powerful women in editorial have told me that she raised them up from assistants. She wove mentoring into her leadership style.
Be willing to change: No field has changed more dramatically than communications; Ellen understood this, as the trajectory of her career shows.
Remember the power of relationships. I feel like Ellen started the first “girls club” without calling it that. She seemed to not only know everyone, but was able to get through right in the moment to make things happen.
Finally, appreciate tough teachers. Ellen would challenge us. In fact, sometimes the debate could get a little heated. But it was always because she cared. Always because she wanted the best for NYWICI and for women everywhere.