It’s really uplifting to meet someone who not only enjoys living here but is actively working to make life in Prescott better. A few individuals come to mind, but I was so pleased to add to the list when I met Breeanya Hinkel, owner and publisher of Prescott Woman magazine.

Born and raised in Prescott, she returned after studying in North Dakota because she really likes it here! She remembers when there was only one stoplight in Prescott Valley, and has watched in amazement the immense growth the Quad Cities have experienced in her lifetime.

Growing up on Oregon Avenue, she enjoyed the classic pre-9/11 childhood, with bikes and clubhouses and exploring the creek. She likes to reminisce about how quiet Prescott used to be, but also gets excited about the opportunities afforded by a growing demographic for building a more diverse, more inclusive community.

Born in 1979, she started working for EMI PrintWorks at age 21 in graphic design and prepress. After six years honing her skills in the print industry, one day Tim Callahan, previous owner of Prescott Woman (founded in 2006) came into EMI and offered Bree a job working on his magazine. She initially demurred, being at her current place of employment, but ultimately accepted the position. She has been with Prescott Woman for 13 years and owner of the publication since April 2018.

Breeanya is a Prescott woman, committed to the community-oriented and woman-focused magazine. Since taking ownership she has made some changes to increase its appeal and relevance to all ages and types of women.

The issues are themed, and the magazine recently added secondary themes. For instance, there is a wedding issue, but not all women are interested in wedding-planning, so that issue also has a travel feature. She has a strong team of women of all ages working on her staff, allowing the magazine to reach a multi-generation readership. Prescott Woman also has a strong social-media presence, with a feature called Women Owned Wednesday, where it focuses on a woman-owned business in the area.

Breeanya is passionate about supporting positive change, so every issue features a local nonprofit and how it affects our community. “What can we do to make sure everybody feels like it’s Everybody’s Hometown?”

Prescott Woman also hosts a podcast operation in which hosts Charles Mattheus and Kelly Roberge conduct thoughtful interviews of locals involved in various initiatives, including Habitat for Humanity, teens working together to engage in productive dialogue about tolerance and inclusivity (Better Together), and the popular Wedding Extravaganza. Promoting endeavors like these is what gets Bree motivated.

While running a high-quality, multifaceted magazine is consuming, Bree makes time to serve the community in other ways as well. She is on the board of Prescott Center for the Arts, and is a member of the groups Finding and Making the Good and Prescott Women Who Care. Her commitment to our growing town and enthusiasm for promoting meaningful initiatives, especially involving women, is contagious.

Prescott Woman is published bimonthly and available free at local kiosks and many venues around town, or by subscription.

For more information visit www.prescottwomanmagazine.com.