Key Staff

Mark Margraff
Senior Photographer/Advisory Board Member
BLU Since March 2006

Mark Margraff lives, breathes, and exudes his own commercial artistic style. He shoots regularly around Philadelphia and New York, working with top advertising agencies and publications. He is passionate about both his work and his family.

Mark is so incredibly professional, talented, objective and supportive that this publication would not be the same without him. There are no words to convey how appreciated and beloved he is at BLU! He has been all over the place for us, including shooting in the summer heat and humidity of Texas in 2007. His humor and vision keep us on target when the work otherwise might become “work.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Suzan Margraff
Stylist ~ Hair & Makeup
BLU Since January 2007

Suzan Margraff is an internationally trained stylist and makeup artist. She often collaborates with her husband, Mark, on projects throughout the United States. Suzan also co-owns and operates a salon in New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Mark’s right hand, and now ours, too, Suzan offers expertise gleaned from years of dedicated work and European training. Her attention to every detail has proven key during shoots and throughout the publication.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff Wyatt
Columnist, On-Air Personality/Advisory Board Member
BLU Since November 2006

A New York writer/comedian with a wit ranging from jovial to acerbic depending on the subject, Jeff has spent the past delighting audiences, be it in a comedy club or his first passion, poetry readings.

Jeff’s humor keeps the BLU team both laughing and blushing, while his fashion sense keeps male readers advised of how not to look like “Joe Average.” As the host for Magazine BLU’s television program In The BLU and as part of Fledgling and other programming, viewers will have the opportunity to enjoy Jeff’s wit and style, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daniel Mezick
Photographer
BLU Since March 2006

Daniel Mezick graduated with a BA in Studio Art Photography from Lycoming College. He has worked on shoots ranging from corporate portraiture to editorial magazine spreads, commercial products, advertising campaigns and large book publications.

A meticulous photographer with talent for setting exactly the right mood through use of lighting and live sets, Daniel captures images that display fashion yet announce the true flavor of BLU at the same time. Creatively on target and extremely talented, Daniel Mezick will be a part of BLU’s long future, offering images fully evoking what it means to be 30-something in the world today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scott Pruden
Contributing Editor/Advisory Board Member
BLU Since March 2006

Scott Pruden aspired to become a published writer as early as age ten. Upon graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Journalism, he launched his career in the world of newspapers by covering local news, politics, business, crime and public interest. He then progressed into a weekly opinion column. Currently, Scott writes for several lifestyle and feature magazines.

The consummate professional with extremely fine-tuned journalistic capability, Scott has written highly favored pieces that have brought in many emails of appreciation and admiration. Always on the ready and willing to tackle big pieces, Scott has delivered for us repeatedly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Curt Riedy
Writer
BLU Since March 2006

Curt Riedy began his writing career at Kutztown University, where he graduated with a BA in Professional Writing. He has since written for multiple newspapers and magazines with a focus on the arts, film and music.

An all-around fun guy and dedicated, unselfish writer, Curt Riedy has been the go-to guy upon whom we can all rely. He will definitely be one of the “greats” in his field and a promising future is at his feet. Whether following around a celebrity with “attitude” or having to sample libations for his next piece, Curt keeps his wit sharp, pen sharper, professionalism – and somehow his dignity – always intact.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Helene Golombek-Roper
Socialization Writer, Advisory Board Member, On-Air Personality
BLU Since March 2006

Helene Golombek-Roper is a passionate traveler, having most recently been to Scotland, Belize and the Mayan Riviera. Equally as energetic about fitness, she is taking healthy living a lot more seriously in her thirties than ever before. Helene brings a fresh perspective in her natural, uninhibited style of writing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rebecca Fox
Fitness Writer, On-Air Personality
BLU Since January 2008

Becky is an ACE certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She is passionate about helping others to reach their fitness goals, and her background in psychology only increases her skills to motivate and encourage others. Becky writes fitness articles for various publications such as the Knoxville News “Get Fit” Blog, DivaGuide, and Power Systems. In addition to training through her own company, Fox Fitness, Becky is an Optimum Nutrition and American Bodybuilding sponsored figure competitor and fitness model. She can be seen on the covers of Power Systems and Magazine BLU. She is active in her community as a Knoxville, TN Chamber Ambassador and Founder of the “Get Fit Knoxville” Initiative. One of her more recent accomplishments is becoming an Advisory Board Member of the Excellence through Exercise Foundation in Whittier, CA. Becky is excited to be on board with Magazine BLU and is looking forward to leading readers to a healthier lifestyle so they can feel and look better!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rafael Henin
Photographer
BLU Since March 2006

Bio and photo coming soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gillian Benary
Writer
BLU Since September 2008

Bio and photo coming soon!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adrianna D’Angelo
Blogger Extraordinaire ~ …and Baby Makes Two!
BLU Since March 2008*

Adrianna D’Angelo holds a Master’s degree, resides in Philadelphia, is 29 and single…with a beautiful 6-month old named Dante! She blogs about her life as a single Mom for Magazine BLU. About her bundle of joy she says, “This is the first ‘event’ in my life that I did not meticulously plan and research first, so it’s a bit of a rollercoaster ride. But, hey- what’s life without a few surprises?”

*Baby Dante ~ BLU Since Wednesday, July 9, 2008!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katie O’Neal
Blogger Extraordinaire ~ Katie Did It!
BLU Before There Was BLU!

Katie O’Neal is the Official Single Female Blogger of Magazine BLU. Actually, Katie is pen-named, to protect the identity of the actual blogger. The current Katie resides in Philadelphia and has been writing for Magazine BLU since April 2008.

Katie was formerly the pen name of Publisher Kimberly Toms, for approximately ten years. With a growing company to support and other “things” to attend to, Kimberly reluctantly handed down her cartoon persona to the next Miss O’Neal in early 2008.

Others will surely follow to fill the blogging shoes, as Katies come and go through the realm of “being just a single 30-something lady, navigating this world one day at a time.”  One thing’s for sure: Katie will never age beyond 39, and she will always be a yellow-haired, ruby-lipped cartoon, just as she has always been.

We change the names to protect the innocent, but the rest is real!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Brian ~ a.k.a. “Desert Dude”
Blogger Extraordinaire ~ Military Consciousness
BLU Since August 2007

Brian first met Publisher Kimberly Toms in 1993, on an Air Force Base in North Carolina. A friendship developed that lasts to this day. As Brian was sent to Afghanistan to serve in the US Military for his country, Kimberly asked if he would keep a blog for the readers of Magazine BLU, so we could all share in his experiences to a degree of some understanding of what our dedicated soldiers, sailors, and airmen go through in that desert, everyday.

After his time in the Middle East ended, Brian safely returned to his Air Force Base in Hawaii to transition to a more regular life.

Next, we followed him to a new duty station, in Italy. That is where we find him now, as a single 30-something American Airman, enjoying all that Italy has to offer while sharing his exploits with us – his favorite moments clearly being those on his Harley, “Black Betty.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Marnee Simon
Hair & Make-Up Stylist ~ Northeast Fashion, On-Air Personality/Beauty Expert/Advisory Board Member
BLU Since January 2008

Marnee Simon, a.k.a. “The Cosmetic Magician,” is a freelance and agency represented celebrity make-up artist specializing in print, video, and fim.

Marnee began her career 15 years ago, when she launched Lash Cosmetics, LLC, an affordable and hypo-allergenic retail brand, distributed and sold throughout the East Coast in elite salons. She worked with the general public in bridal, events, and volunteered much of her time to philanthropic entities such as Lankenau and Jefferson Hospital’s Oncology Fund Raisers. Her vast knowledge and great passion for cosmetics, coupled with her love of instilling confidence in women, has been a driving force in her career.

Marnee has since worked extensively with celebrities, designers at runway events, photographers, stylists, models, musicians, advertising agencies, magazine editors, and has appeared on NBC as an expert in her field. Her work has been published in national and international media, in both print and video genres, showcasing her expertise through photographic imagery and contributing beauty and fashion copy.

Marnee only hopes to continue her mission, of servicing her client to the very best of her abilility, while continuing to build esteem in both men and women, making them understand their true beauty, both inside and out. Marnee currently resides in Pennsylvania and New York, and travels nationally and internationally for business, working on set, and scouting upcoming industry trends. Marnee is excited about BLU, and is proud to be a member of such an outstanding and talented team, as an artist, and as a 30-something!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emily Money
Photography Assistant/Production Assistant
BLU Since June 2007

Just launching her potential career in Photography, Emily assists in fashion photo shoots and other production work throughout Magazine BLU. She is also key in much of the behind-the-scenes operations, often merrily chipping in to do the “little things” that are crucial for overall success of the company. Whether standing in the hot sun with photography reflectors for hours on end, or organizing the shoot closet, Emily brings sarcastic humor and efficiency to the areas of BLU that need it most!

Emily currently resides in Greenville, Texas and attends Wolfe City High School. Raising dogs, cats, Longhorn cattle, and siblings are additional talents, as are artistic pursuits. Emily was born in Germany (near the borders of Luxembourg and France, in the Rheinland Pfalz), where she resided for the first four years of her life. She has also resided in England, North Carolina, Alaska and Philadelphia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Robert Romanino
On-Air Personality
BLU Since November 2008

A born and bred New York actor/writer with a passion for anything related to history, Robert graduated University with honors and a BA in Classical Civilization and Archaeology. Torn between pursuing a PhD in Classics and a career in Film he finally decided to pursue the latter. After countless auditions, scripts, and experiences in the business he is very honored to join the Magazine BLU team as the host of the television show The Single Life.

In his down time, Robert is an avid reader and film fan. His credo (borrowed from St. Augustine) is… “The key to immortality is living a life worth remembering.” As part of The Single Life, he will help us all find that mortality through exploits and adventures worth pursuing and remembering!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hemali Acharya
Photographer
BLU Since November 2008

Hemali is a San Francisco-based digital photographer with a Masters Degree in Photography from the Academy of Art University. A native of Mumbai, India, her ability to capture truly remarkable images stems from ten years’ experience.

She specializes in creating visionary photos of landscapes, injecting life into commercial photography, and capturing beauty in an elegant and natural way for fashion photography. Her dynamic lighting skill enhances her photographs’ imagery. Armed with intensity, passion, and her unique style, she is a perfect fit for Magazine BLU.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ayaka Robinson
Photographer
BLU Since November 2008

Bio and photo coming soon!