About

Gene Monteith is a writer, editor and dabbler in numerous other adventures.
 
A native of Elkhart, Ind., Gene graduated from Indiana University with a double-major in English and journalism. He spent the next 10 years reporting and editing for The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger and The (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal-Gazette.
 
In 1989, the lure of better pay and regular hours spurred him to put on a suit and tie for a job at Fort Wayne-based Lincoln National Corp., where he worked in media relations and wrote speeches for the company's chief executive officer.
 
When his wife was offered an new opportunity in Ohio, Gene and their three kids left Fort Wayne and followed her to Columbus. Gene hung out his shingle and waited for the work to roll in. Two years later, with his oldest headed to college, Gene decided to get a real job again. He spent the next 11 years at a Columbus public relations firm, serving a diverse cross-section of clients in business, higher education, government, and non-profit sectors.
 
Now, having once abandoned journalism for good, he finds himself back on the bike with hiVelocity.  He's wearing a helmet.  And assuming he's able to avoid most of the potholes, he will continue to make time for kayaking, running, backpacking, beer-brewing and playing music.
 
Managing Photographer
Benjamin French
 
Ben started his career in Bowling Green, Ohio, as a photographer and photo editor at the G News. This is where he found his passion to be a photojournalist. Capturing people and things in their real-life environment is what drew him to this field of photography. While gaining experience at the BG News and Bowling Green Sentinel Tribune, he earned his bachelor of science in technology with a focus in visual communication at Bowling Green State University.

In his 10 years of professional experience, he has served as the sole photographer for the News Messenger -- a Gannett-owned newspaper in Fremont, Ohio, as a staff photographer for Suburban News Publications in Columbus, Ohio, and runs his own successful wedding photography business. His work has been published by The New York Times, The Detroit Free Press, The Columbus Dispatch, and The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and has received numerous awards from the Associated Press. Photography has been his lifelong passion, and as the grandson of a professional photographer, he has generations of experience to draw from. Ben also enjoys camping, nature photography and playing bass in his band, The Top Heavies.
 
hiVelocity is published by Issue Media Group.
Operations and Media Contact: Deepa Ramsinghani
Web Site and E-Newsletter Technology: Matt Lehman and Mark Walz, Fluent Consulting.
Web Site Design: Patrick Blaiso, pblasio&people, inc.

hiVelocity is made possible through the support of the Ohio Business Development Coalition.

Also check out Issue Media Group's other fine publications:
    •    Soapbox in Cincinnati
    •    Pop City in Pittsburgh, PA
    •    Rapid Growth in Grand Rapids, MI
    •    Capital Gains in Lansing, MI
    •    Model D and metromode in Detroit, MI
    •    Concentrate in Washtenaw County, MI
    •    BMore in Baltimore