Virginia Golfer July / August 2015 | Page 8

The Virginia Golfer Conversation Thank You T he magazine you’re reading is the last Virginia Golfer to be published under the editorial direction of Andrew Blair. He resigned May 29, after more than 14 years as communications director of the Virginia State Golf Association, and is pursuing other career opportunities. The VSGA Board and competitive golf in the Commonwealth will miss Blair’s calm professionalism and amazing work ethic. With the retrenching and reductions taking place all over the media landscape, Blair stepped into the breach to effectively serve as Virginia’s golf reporter. If there was a VSGA or United States Golf Association tournament taking place in Virginia, Blair was there covering it for media outlets which had no one available to staff the event. “In all respects, Andrew was a pleasure to work with and did a fabulous job without leaving one stone unturned,” said Jamie Conkling, executive director of the VSGA. “Andrew is armed with a great sense of humor. For those of us who worked closely with Andrew, he went by the nickname (jokingly) ‘Snoop Dogg’ as we all had to be careful of what 6 “It never felt I was actually working!” we said or it might find its way into print. We will certainly miss him.” So will most of the writers who wrote regularly for Virginia Golfer. “Andrew is the kindest, most considerate editor I’ve ever known, traits that carry over into his personal life,” said Jim Ducibella, a Virginia Sports Hall of Famer and the back-of-the-book columnist for Virginia Golfer. Said Mike Stott, a frequent contributor to the magazine, “Andrew is a thorough V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 and thoughtful editor, one who is generous and humble to a fault. He had the utmost consideration for others. God bless him, he worked his fanny off.” Jim McEwen, president of Touchpoint Media, VSGA’s publishing partner for Virginia Golfer, said that Blair “has an uncanny way of making people feel good about their work.” Blair can also get mad if the circumstances call for it. Randy King of the Roanoke Times recalled a day at a VSGA Amateur in Hot Springs when a prominent southwest Virginia player stormed off after giving King and a reporting colleague a string of “no comments” after a tough loss. “When