Every morning when Louise Vale walks into the building, Grocott’s Rocks. The vibe in the front shop and the offices flips brazenly from a routine matter-of-fact situation, where everybody is quietly going about their business to: “C’mon everybody let’s kick a….!”
Every morning when Louise Vale walks into the building, Grocott’s Rocks. The vibe in the front shop and the offices flips brazenly from a routine matter-of-fact situation, where everybody is quietly going about their business to: “C’mon everybody let’s kick a….!”
She doesn’t actually use those words, but that is certainly the feeling that bolts up the stairs and flashes through the newsroom. Louise is leaving Grocott’s Mail at the end of this year to take up a post in Johannesburg.
If ever anyone could define the opposite of a "shrinking violet" – Louise is the first and best example of that new expression. When Louise is around, things happen, and they usually happen very fast. The staff of Grocott’s Mail is going to miss Louise’s generous and genuine caring attitude for all of us. Who else would make soup on a cold day, put flowers on the stairs and then fight the bean counters to get salary increases for the staff?
This is undoubtedly unfair on the incoming General Manager, Steven Kromberg, who will be following in the footsteps of a living legend – but we have no doubt that he too will become a legend in his own time.
He has already met with a number of key role players in Grahamstown and is keen to interact with people from the multiplicity of niches in our local society. We are desperately sad to see Louise leave, but we are thrilled with the new challenges that Kromberg is setting for us.
The changing of the guard in the General Manager’s office is only part of the quiet revolution taking place at Grocott’s Mail.
At a Board meeting of the David Rabkin Project for Experiential Journalism (holding company of Grocott’s Mail) earlier this week, an election was held to choose a new Chairperson to replace Professor Guy Berger, who will be taking extended leave from the beginning of next year.
Following the election, Professor Lynette Steenveld steps up from Deputy Chair during Berger’s tenure, to take on the responsibilities of Chairperson of the Board, while Professor Harry Dugmore becomes the new Deputy Chair.
As current Board members, both Steenveld and Dugmore have an intimate understanding of how Grocott’s works. They appreciate the challenges we face on a day-to-day basis and they are also fully aware of the scope for improvements.
This weekend we will be having a function to say farewell to Louise Vale and to Guy Berger, and at the same time welcome Steven Kromberg as the new General Manager, and to congratulate the Lynette Steenveld and Harry Dugmore on their respective appointments.
