Leslie @ Lunch
With guest Diane Egner
It was a rare, gray, nasty, rainy day…and yet it was about 83 Degrees—Diane Egner, publisher, of 83 Degrees specifically.
We met at Piquant in Hyde Park Village where Diane, who is a tea enthusiast, ordered a cup of Earl Grey with lavender. There, on the Lucite chairs, we chatted over Gruyére grilled cheese sandwiches (hers with tomato on multigrain and mine on challah), which I later learned were kid’s menu selections, which explains why they were super small…but they were also super scrumptious.
83 Degrees lands in subscribers’ inboxes every Tuesday and delivers a view of what’s new in the areas of economics, entrepreneurship, diversity, innovation, sustainability, technology and more in Tampa Bay. Features like the recent one on Dad Bloggers and the publication’s “Not Your Average Speakers" series with topics like “Finding Meaning in Tampa Bay’s Curious Quest to be Cool” are a breath of fresh air.
Diane credits 83 Degrees’ parent company, Issue Media Group (based in Detroit, Michigan), with “changing the narrative about cities.”
“They were kind of out there ahead of the curve about how popular urban living would become,” she suggests. “The discussion about cities competing in the global marketplace for the best and the brightest—that’s really what we’re all about.”
She’s passionate about our area’s rich diversity.
“Our community is hugely reflective of the diversity of the world.”
Diane believes that the emissaries we send back, “to places where they may not have a full appreciation of who we are as a country,” makes much of the impact.
The Nth Degree
Greatest joy with 83 Degrees
Connecting people
Most exquisite place where Diane has enjoyed tea
Victoria Island, British Columbia
Surprise!
Creative Loafing’s Visual Art Critic, Megan Voeller is Diane’s daughter.
Favorite Movie
North by Northwest
Topping her list of places to go
Australia and New Zealand
Favorite thing about VERTICAL
The imagery
Going places
Here at home, she basks in the warm glow of community support for 83 Degrees.
“I’m still here and I love what I do. I’ve poured a lot of my heart and energy into it to make it successful."
This is something I can relate to. In addition to paralleling one another as publishers, Diane and I share a love of traveling. Where my sights are set on discovering and exploring destinations broadly, Diane and her boyfriend, Sandy, tend toward special interests and events.
“We like to do fun things that are spur of the moment,” Diane says. “We’re going to California because Sandy saw a short story in The New York Times about a stained glass window exhibit coming to the The Getty. It’s Elizabethan-era stained glass and we’re going out just to see it.” Editor’s Note: At the mention of this I noticed my picture-taking finger began to twitch.
The couple, both wine lovers, also plan to visit New Zealand where Sauvignon Blanc flows as freely as the country’s natural beauty. They also attend The Master’s every year.
Meet LESLIE JOY ICKOWITZ
an ambitious beginning
At the ripe age of 16, Diane boarded her first flight. She had won a National Science Foundation summer fellowship to study marine biology (and math) in California.
“I was interested in the science of oceanography.”
Over the following year, she got to see both coasts of the United States because she also won a scholarship to intern for Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale in Washington D.C.
“I dreamed about running for political office,” Diane says, “and I was exposed to both the academic side as well as the political side of our country which was a huge education. It expanded my awareness of global issues and the impact people can have not only on each other but on public policy.”
Her goal back then was to be elected to the state house. It turns out she never did run for office. And she doesn’t have any plans to.
“Life happens and you make other decisions.”
Moving here was one of them.
“Florida was a fabulous state for newspapers,” according to Diane.
Her family retired here in the mid-70s and Diane was familiar with the area from having traveled to Dunedin as a child.
She dove into journalism here as a part-time copy editor with the St. Petersburg Times (now Tampa Bay Times) before taking a full time reporting position with the Tampa Tribune where she stayed for 25 years (the last 12 on the editorial board). Then she landed the Content Director position for USF radio, television and web.
a happy ending
As if it’s not clear already that storytelling courses through this journalist’s veins, Diane places Powerstories Theater at the forefront of her many charitable activities. The mission of Powerstories is to stage true stories to open minds and hearts and inspire action worldwide. Each production and workshop is designed to use true stories by women and girls to increase courage and confidence, accomplish a deeper appreciation for diversity, bring order out of chaos, validate experiences and more.
Diane’s own back story begins in Minnesota where she grew up on a cattle farm. “A good burger,” gets her mouth watering and when her appetite for one sprouts up, she most often winds up at Square Burger to satisfy it. Her favorite place to gather with friends is 717 South and dates with her boyfriend center around movies, theater and good wine.
Sandy was home sick the day of our lunch date so Diane stocked up on a few fresh pastries from Piquant’s bakery counter for him…topping off our visit with a super sweet finish.
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