A List
3/31/03

EDITOR OF 'ESSENCE' TO GIVE TALK AT SLU

CANTON - Susan L. Taylor, the editorial director of Essence 
magazine, as well as an author and entrepreneur, will give the 
John F. O'Loughlin Leadership Series Endowment lecture at St. Lawrence 
University on Tuesday, April 8, at 8 p.m. in Eben Holden Hall. 
"Creative Leadership: From the Inside Out" is the title of Taylor's 
talk, which is open to the public, free of charge.
	The driving force behind one of the most celebrated, 
award-winning, black-owned magazines, Taylor is an inspiration to 
millions of people who see her as a living symbol of the positive 
aspects of the African-American community that Essence promotes. 
This personal presentation will include Taylor's advice on finding 
balance and meaning in life, and on taking control of your own destiny.
	Editor-in-chief of Essence from 1981 through 2000, Taylor 
writes the popular "In the Spirit" column each month. As editorial 
director, she is in charge of all editorial operations of the magazine, 
oversees the content of all divisions of the multimedia organization 
and works with the chairman to develop new businesses and expand 
Essence's global reach.
	She is a fourth-generation entrepreneur, researching and 
developing her own successful business, a line of customized 
cosmetics and natural skin-care products, in 1970, the same year 
that Essence debuted. Within weeks of its introduction, Nequai 
Cosmetics came to the attention of Essence editors and Taylor was 
recruited to help the fledgling publication shape its beauty pages. 
She was named beauty editor in 1971 and a year later, her position 
expanded to include fashion.
	In her leadership role, Taylor has guided the magazine 
through a period of phenomenal growth, making it the largest and 
most highly regarded magazine for black women in the world. She 
has also been instrumental in the launch of the first nationally 
syndicated black-oriented magazine-format television show, also 
called "Essence." In addition, Taylor is executive producer of the 
annually televised "Essence Awards," on Fox Television, and serves 
in a similar capacity for the annual Essence Music Festival in 
New Orleans. She is the author of three books.
	For more information, contact the Leadership Academy and 
David Garner Center for Collegiate Volunteerism, 315-229-5652.

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