Kevin K. VanGundy | Publisher & Advertising Director

Kevin has been with BEACON Senior News since he took over as publisher in 2008. A Western Colorado native, Kevin is an entrepreneur with a long-standing career in sales, advertising and marketing. He is a founding member of the Guys Giving Club and is president of the North American Mature Publishers Association.

Kevin believes that just as good storytelling transforms, so should good advertising. He spends most of his time fighting ageism in America and teaching local residents, business owners and elected officials that people over 65 aren’t dead yet. 

One time, Kevin surprised the rest of the BEACON staff when he shaved his head because he lost a bet about losing weight. 

Cloie Sandlin | Editor in Chief

Cloie is dedicated to reshaping public perceptions of aging by highlighting the talents and achievements of local seniors through inspiring stories and engaging content in print and online. She leads the BEACON's creative team and has been with the company since 2009.

Cloie is an accomplished writer and journalist and a Colorado Mesa University graduate with degrees in public relations, advertising and business. She's married to her high school sweetheart and has three dogs.

Outside of work, Cloie is crossing musicians and bands off her live music bucket list. She also inherited a small rubber ducky collection a few years ago, which has taken over her desk, leading visitors to think she's obsessed with ducks. 

Heather Portenier | Editorial & Engagement Coordinator

Heather is excited to put her “grammar police” skills to use on the BEACON's editorial team. A Colorado Mesa University alumna, Heather has a B.A. in multimedia journalism and is a freelance writer, published author and poet.

She has lived in Grand Junction since 1995 and married her high school sweetheart. They have one son and three spoiled rescue dogs. As a passionate advocate for shelter animals, Heather also serves on the Roice-Hurst Humane Society Board of Directors. When not working at BEACON, she continues to operate a cleaning and pet sitting business that she’s had for 20 years.

Camping with her family, writing, collecting coffee mugs and volunteering at local animal shelters are a few of her favorite pastimes. When feeling particularly funny, she performs stand-up comedy at local open mics.

Stacey Splude | Customer Service Manager

Stacey is the friendly person you hear on the phone when you call our office. She's been with BEACON Senior News since 2016 and handles our office's day-to-day operations, manages the BEACON's Classifieds section, and is our go-to person for anything and everything! When she's not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her three grandkids, traveling with her daughter, and hanging out with friends and family.

Debra Romaniec | Advertising Account Executive

Debra has been with BEACON Senior News since 2017. She is passionate about creating awareness and being pro-active with aging adult issues. Debra loves meeting new people in the community and volunteering for various local organizations in the Grand Valley. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, watching the next best film to hit theaters and house-sitting of her friends’ many fur babies.

Megan Davis | Advertising Account Executive

A proud Grand Junction native, Megan loves everything Colorado has to offer. She and her 8-year-old son enjoy fishing, hiking, camping and roasting marshmallows by a campfire while stargazing under the beautiful Colorado night sky. An animal lover, Megan and her son share their home with a senior dog named Toby and a puppy named Roxxie.

Megan's passion for engaging with seniors comes naturally, as she considers herself a vintage gal at heart, embracing the values of earlier times. Engaging with seniors comes naturally, as she is a vintage gal at heart, holding true to the values of earlier times. She’s also very interested in history, specifically the 1940s and the era of Elvis, Johnny Cash and Chuck Berry. Her favorite quote is: "Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional!" 

Carol MacInnes | Advertising Assistant

Carol first fell in love with the Grand Valley during a family vacation in 1991—it was a welcome contrast to the traffic and smog of Los Angeles. By 1992, she and her family made Grand Junction their permanent home.

A former ballroom dancer, Carol competed for several years in the Star Ball in Denver. Her skills as a seamstress were very helpful in creating dresses for competitions and performances in Grand Junction. Although an injury sidelined her from dancing, Carol continues to enjoy sewing as a creative outlet.

Carol has worked at the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department and the assessor’s office and has a degree in organizational management. She is excited to collaborate with clients, readers and the rest of the BEACON staff to deliver an engaging and uplifting magazine each month. 

B. Bigler | Graphic Designer

Bix has been with BEACON Senior News since 2019. He specializes in the visual structure of a page, working to produce the ideal blend of text, images and space.

When he isn't working, he tries to stay active by riding his bike, tending his garden and learning new things from YouTube and documentaries.

Michael L. Madsen | Graphic Designer

Mike brings 25+ years of graphic design knowledge and experience to BEACON Senior News. He takes great pride in designing some of the fantastic advertising you see each month, along with the layout and design of the pages you read. In his downtime, he likes hanging out with his children and is a total cinephile with a movie collection that could make Netflix blush. He'll also admit he's a total geek/nerd about most tech and all things sci-fi, fantasy or comics related. If it's Marvel, DC, Star Trek, Star War or countless other TV shows and movies like that, you can bet he's into it.

Lauren VanGundy | Delivery

Lauren is integral in making sure the BEACON reaches our readers in the Grand Valley. She loves stopping at places where she can greet happy seniors—even better if it's at a thrift store or second-hand shop so she can do some quick shopping.

Brittney Bade | Delivery

Brittney is a friendly face to many seniors. In addition to delivering the BEACON, she works with seniors through her nonprofit The Gift of Love.