Meet Our "Family"
 kevin shirin
publishing director
Kevin skillfully juggles the business side of Thriving Family. He oversees budget, production, distribution — and so much more. Kevin's keen money-stretching skills particularly come in handy when he, his wife and their seven kids go grocery shopping.
Editorial
 sheila seifert
editorial director
With over a decade of freelance and college-teaching experience, Sheila turned in her unfinished manuscripts and lesson plans for the editorial pen. This wife and mother of three enjoys her family, books, soccer and old typewriters, to name a few.
scott denicola
 copy chief
Scott has held various editorial roles since joining Focus on the Family in 1989. He and his wife have been married 20 years. Their petite daughter was adopted from China; their lanky son is asked regularly if he plays basketball.  michael ridgeway
managing editor
Michael has spent more than a decade editing magazines in North America and Asia. After a long stint in Taiwan, he returned to the U.S. with his spunky wife and two rambunctious children. His concern for families (and especially for fathers and husbands) motivates him as he works with unruly syntax and wayward grammar.
 andrea gutierrez
senior associate editor
Andrea Gutierrez holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in technical journalism from Colorado State University. She and her husband have two young daughters and a large extended family that finds many good reasons for getting together, even when it's only to enjoy Mexican food.
 pam woody
senior associate editor
After more than 25 years of marriage, Pam holds a special interest in the changing role of women in the home. Inspired by her three daughters and years of youth mentoring, her other focus is on issues that affect parenting in today's teen culture.
 megan gordon
senior associate editor
Megan's diverse professional and personal skill set includes teaching, writing, editing and foster/adoptive parenting. In her current role, she combines her respect for the written word and passion for encouraging families with her eye for editing. A longtime basketball player, Megan loves shooting hoops with her super-tall husband and their two athletically inclined daughters.
 vance fry
associate editor
Since college, Vance has worked as a teacher, writer and editor. At home, he and his wife try to be good parents to their three daughters. When he’s tired of dolls and princess stories, Vance plays with the dog. Though female, she growls and wrestles like a pro, and it’s almost like having another guy around.
 troy griepentrog
associate editor
Troy is passionate about building strong marriages. He and his wife love watching old movies together. Special date nights might include silent movies with live music. Troy has been a German teacher, worked in advertising and enjoys writing and editing. His grandkids call him Opa — which is German for “Grandpa.”
Design  mike harrigan
creative director
Mike has been managing the design of numerous Focus on the Family publications for years. Directing the fresh, fun look of Thriving Family is his latest accomplishment. Mike, his wife and their two daughters are true (orange and) blue Denver Broncos fans.
 lexie rhodes
senior designer
Lexie is the artistic talent behind the day-to-day designing of Thriving Family. She and her husband, Stuart, don't have children of their own but enjoy being aunt and uncle to a host of nieces and nephews. Most winter weekends, you can find Lexie snowboarding with friends and family in the Colorado mountains.
 jim cail
senior designer & prepress specialist
Jim was raised in West Africa as the child of missionaries. Serving as a designer at Focus on the Family for 15 years, he has used his artistic and technical skills to help bring all the Focus magazines' prepress work in-house. He loves to support other designers by doing cool stuff in Photoshop. At home, he enjoys playing with his new grandson.
 jody reiner
senior designer
Jody welcomes the variety and challenge of graphic design. Her longest career was that of a stay-at-home mom, but she also once worked in air traffic control for the FAA. She enjoys time with her husband and visiting her daughter wherever the Air Force takes her and her pilot husband.
Business  linda arnold
editorial assistant
Linda is a Minnesota native. She spends her days keeping the Thriving Family team organized and her evenings and weekends enjoying family, which includes two very precious grandchildren.
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