Alan Webber
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Alan Webber (born September 18, 1948, St. Louis, Missouri[1]) is an American entrepreneur, writer and progressive Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for Governor of New Mexico in 2014.[2] Following his run for Governor, Webber founded One New Mexico, a solution-oriented nonprofit aimed at advancing New Mexico's economic outlook, nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation and connecting New Mexicans statewide.[3] In 1981, Webber worked as an employee of the Harvard Business School, where he went on to serve for six years as managing editor and editorial director of the Harvard Business Review.[4] In 1995, Webber co-founded the technology business magazine, Fast Company, where he was named Adweek's Editor of the Year in 1999.[4][5] In 2000, investors sold Fast Company for $360 million, which was at the time the second highest price ever paid for a U.S. magazine.[citation needed]
Early life and education
Webber's father was a camera salesman.[1] Webber started school at DeMun School in Clayton, and later attended St. Louis Country Day School in St. Louis; he went on to graduate from Amherst College with a B.A. in English. While an employee of Harvard Business School, Webber worked with faculty on Changing Alliances, a book-length study of the competitiveness of the U.S. auto industry.[6]
Early career
After graduating from Amherst, Webber moved to Portland, Oregon where he worked at a start-up political journal, The Oregon Times.[7] Subsequently, he served in the office of then-Portland City Council member Neil Goldschmidt and continued as his administrative assistant and policy advisor when he became Mayor of Portland in 1972. The years Webber spent working alongside Goldschmidt resulted in Webber identifying Goldschmidt as his dear friend and mentor.[8]
Beginning in 1978, Webber served as editorial page editor of the alternative Oregon weekly newspaper, Willamette Week, where he received an Oregon State Newspaper Publisher’s Association Award for news and feature writing.[9]
In 1980, Webber and his family moved to Washington, DC, when Goldschmidt was named Secretary of Transportation in the Carter administration. While working as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Transportation, Webber worked on the Chrysler Corporation bailout, the crisis in the U.S. auto industry, and overall national economic competitiveness issues.[4]
Webber worked at the Harvard Business School in 1981 as a senior research assistant and project coordinator on the auto industry in America. The project culminated in a book called Changing Alliances.[10]
He spent six years as the managing editor/editorial director of the Harvard Business Review (HBR). During his tenure, HBR was twice named a finalist for National Magazine Awards.[11]
Webber worked as a speechwriter and policy advisor for several governors, including Massachusetts Governor (and later Democratic Presidential candidate) Michael Dukakis.[12]
Publications
- (co-author) Changing Alliances - The Harvard Business School Project On The Auto Industry And The American Economy, 1987, ISBN 978-0071032308
- (co-author) Going Global, 1996, ISBN 978-0670863082
- Rules of Thumb: 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Your Self, 2009, paperback ed. 2010 ISBN 978-0061721847
- The Global Detective, 2010, Kindle eBook
- (co-author) Life Reimagined: Discovering Your New Life Possibilities, 2013, ISBN 978-1609949327
He has also written columns and articles for The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, U.S.A. Today, Huffington Post, The New York Times Sunday Magazine and The Washington Post.[citation needed] Life Reimagined was featured in Forbes as one of the "The Best New Books For Your Career".[13]
Awards and recognition
Webber received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Boston Architectural College,[14] and has been designated an Honorary Senior Fellow at the Design Futures Council.[citation needed] He is a former fellow of the U.S.-Japan Leadership Program and a John J. McCloy Fellow.[citation needed]
Personal life
Webber married Frances Diemoz, an architect and furniture maker, in 1977. In 2003, they moved to New Mexico. They have two children, Adam and Amanda Webber.
References
- ^ a b "Alan Webber for NM Governor". Democracy for America. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ "Santa Fe Democrat could shake up governor's race - The Santa Fe New Mexican: Local News". The Santa Fe New Mexican. May 24, 2013. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ "One New Mexico Contact Page". Retrieved March 18, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Alan Webber". Fast Company. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ "Fast Company's Bill Taylor and Alan Webber Named Adweek's 'Editors of the Year'". PR Newswire. March 6, 2000. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ Dyer, Davis; Salter, Malcolm S.; Webber, Alan M. (1987). Changing Alliances. Harvard Business School Press. ISBN 9780875841755. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ "Alan Webber: Editor, Author, Columnist". Business Innovation Factory. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ "Steve Duin blog: Neil Goldschmidt remains an issue in Alan Webber's gubernatorial run in New Mexico". OregonLive.com. Retrieved September 23, 2014.
- ^ "Willamette Week". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ "Alan Webber". Leigh Bureau. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ "Alan Webber's Page". Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Retrieved January 14, 2015.
- ^ "Archives". The Dallas Morning News. Nl.newsbank.com. June 28, 1999. Retrieved October 28, 2013.
- ^ Nancy Collamer (February 21, 2014), The Best New Books For Your Career, Forbes.com
- ^ "Boston Architectural College 2012 Honorary Degree Recipients". Boston Architectural College. May 26, 2012. Retrieved January 14, 2015.