“Hiring Mary Vinnedge remains one of the most successful and noteworthy business decisions that I have made during my 24-year career.
     “Her position as editor of Design NJ magazine not only required exceptional writing, editing and management skills, but also required developing new relationships, positioning a new magazine concept to a new industry, and persuading businesses to take our concept and our company seriously. Our launch of this glossy consumer magazine was very successful.
     “Mary is a talented, motivated self-starter and a professional with a keen sense of understanding what motivates people.
     “No stone was left unturned in her quest to make our product a success. She works tirelessly and effectively.
     “Mary is also one of the most honest people I have had the pleasure of working with.”

-- Tammy Keck, publisher of Design NJ magazine

    “When I began writing for Design NJ magazine, I had just come off a stint where I wrote and edited a monthly home furnishing section for a major New York metropolitan area newspaper.  Without a backup editor, I lived in constant fear of overlooking something – of making a foolish mistake.
     “What a relief it was to write for Mary Vinnedge. She smoothed over my rough sentences, found the spelling inconsistencies, and asked insightful questions when I failed to convey something clearly. She was my safety net.
      “A wise old editor told me that no one should be published without benefit of good editing. Mary Vinnedge is the kind of editor that makes any writer better. She polishes a story without tampering with the original voice. She helps to make a story shine.” 

-- Judy Jeannin, freelance writer and former fashion and home furnishings editor of The Record newspaper in Bergen County, N.J.

     “Mary was my colleague at the Dallas Times Herald and The Dallas Morning News, and she later provided freelance editing services for my current company, Novation LLC, the nation’s leading health-care contracting services company.
     “She is a fast, thorough editor, with great attention to detail. Assuming the point of view of the reader, she can reshape even the most problematic text to get your message across clearly and concisely.
     “In addition, her strong editing skills help make her a fine writer, whether she’s creating her own copy or improving that of others.”

-- Rich Reecer, director, Web and editorial services, Novation LLC

     “I’ve worked with many editors over the years, and to this day, Mary remains one of my favorites. Her assignments are always thorough and well articulated. She’s responsive to all questions and concerns, allowing for a give and take that ultimately enhances the end product.
     “As someone who cares deeply about language, I know I can trust my copy in her hands. Her thoughtful edits not only make my work better, but more importantly, they are in the best possible service of the reader.”

-- Denise DiFulco, freelance journalist

     “Mary Vinnedge is an accomplished, first-rate editor who is highly skilled, precise, and creative. Mary goes straight to the heart of the material to ask the right questions involving both content and style. Her editing always improves and polishes copy; she never makes a change solely for the sake of change or to impose her own style.
     “Writers can rely on Mary to respect their voice and their time, to respond to their work quickly, and to be honest and generous with her advice. She is, quite
simply, a pleasure to work with.”

     “I worked as a freelance photographer for Design NJ magazine for about five years when Mary was the editor in chief. (She helped to create the departments and article content for the magazine, and always had a clear concept of what she wanted.)
     “On every assignment that we collaborated on, Mary was the consummate professional: fully prepared, organized, and always willing to help. She was a delight to each homeowner, assistant, and participant. Her warm personality, ability to edit precisely and with good insight and direction were extremely helpful.
     “Mary’s pleasant, professional rapport, which she extended to all, speaks volumes about her willingness to be a team player. Mary handled my photos, and my ego, with care, and treated everyone with respect.
     “Since her move to Texas, we seldom work together, but are always on the lookout for anything creative that we can collaborate on. We remain friends and keep in touch.”

-- Bradley Olman, professional photographer

     “After working together for more than two years on the House & Garden staff of The Dallas Morning News, I can confidently and wholeheartedly recommend Mary Vinnedge. She produces clean copy, improves anything she touches and knows the importance of meeting deadlines. She is a wordsmith for whom clever ideas seem to come easily.
     “Give her a bright or a long feature, and you'll get back a more-engaging read. Assign her a how-to, instructional piece -- a craft all their own -- and you'll get a finished product that everyone can follow.
     “Once you work with Mary, you'll want to keep her on your team.”

-- Michael Taylor, deputy news technology editor, The Washington Post

     “I've known Mary professionally for more than 20 years, having worked with her at the Dallas Times Herald and more recently when I recruited her three years ago from the editorship of a magazine to become features editor of The Eagle, a daily newspaper in Bryan, Texas.
     “At The Eagle, the newspaper's features sections required a substantial makeover to meet a changing audience. She not only made all the changes in a short period of time, but she also introduced a Health & Fitness section.
      “She sets high expectations and then works tirelessly to achieve excellence.”

-- Ray Wilkerson, adjunct professor of journalism, University of Dallas

-- Judith Norkin, freelance writer