It’s been an amazing year at VERVE.

At year’s end, I always feel like it’s a good time to take stock. In July, the magazine completely reinvented itself when we started publishing monthly and in a larger format. The new paper, size and stepped-up frequency have all been smash hits.

To kick the year off, we rolled out a buzzy “Ten Women to Watch” list, which our readers loved. So in January 2011, we’ll be running a “30 Under 30” roundup, profiling some of Western North Carolina’s most accomplished young women. Stay tuned.

Because it’s my job to look around Western North Carolina for tales of interesting women, I think I have one of the best jobs in the world. We will never run out of extraordinary stories to tell, and I enjoy them all.

But this year, three in particular have stood out for me. Last winter, Asheville City Councilwoman Esther Manheimer, a political newcomer and mother of three, got the most votes of any city council candidate, including three incumbents. Since then, she’s spoken out about issues like gay rights and affordable housing, and we applaud her efforts. Also laudable in affordable housing is Mountain Housing Opportunities co-founder Cindy Weeks, whose experiences as a single mother in urban Pittsburgh give her a remarkable empathy for the clients she helps today. Since we profiled her in July, I’ve seen Weeks and her daughter at several events and fundraisers. Even though she works long hours, Weeks still makes time to get out and see what’s going on in the community.

Then there’s our November cover girl Darcel Grimes, the longtime WLOS news anchor. For a skeptical newswoman, she came across as warm and open, and she gave us a tremendous amount of time and energy for our story. In fact, she only seemed to squirm a little at the thought of answering questions instead of asking them. Laura Miklowitz, VERVE’s Creative Services Director, overheard me interviewing Grimes and asked—“When you finish the story on Darcel, aren’t you going to miss her?”

Yes. Now, I’ll just have to cross my fingers and hope for such fascinating, fabulous women to interview in 2011.

See you in the new year,

Jess McCuan

jess@vervemag.com