Editor in Chief Karen Carroll actually held the office of “Miss Gracious Living” in her sorority pledge class and lived to tell the tale. Today she firmly believes in the motto of friend and Southern Accents contributor Patrick Dunne that nothing should be taken too seriously in any room except bad manners and a bad drink.
Executive Editor Frances MacDougall has been with the magazine 17 years and in that time has served as art and antiques editor, senior editor, managing editor, and executive editor. In her current role, she oversees editorial and strategic planning for each issue and gives lectures on decorating, especially on Decorating with Color, drawn from her book Southern Accents on Color, which she was published in 2003.
Ms. MacDougall is a 1990 graduate of Smith College, where she earned a B.A. in English literature. She spent her junior year of college in Paris and studied art history at the Institut d’Art et Archaeology and French literature at the Sorbonne. She has two young daughters, ages 8 and 5 that keep her busy and always inspired.
Senior Editor Julie Cole Miller still cherishes her tattered copy of Marjabelle Young Stewart and Ann Buchwald's charm-school book "What to Do When and Why." Though by no accounts a star pupil, she still enjoys finding graciousness and beauty in small moments. When not writing or editing stories on antiques, artists, historic preservation, and architecture, she and her husband are busy chasing a toddler, a dachshund, and an omniscient orange-marmalade cat.
Managing Editor Dawn Cannon believes a messy desk makes for a more organized mind. She graciously enforces deadlines around the office.
As copy chief, Kate Johnson makes sure our stories are accurate, informative, and interesting–in other words, a lot of reading. While prior stints at Weight Watchers, Southern Living, and Cooking Light magazines led to much free time spent trying recipes, nearly six years of reading about beautiful homes and gardens has led to weekends spent–you guessed it–rearranging, crafting, and shopping for her home.
Alison Miller is the Associate Editor of Southern Accents magazine and a native of Birmingham, AL where she was voted “Most Poised” by her Catholic high school class. Despite a string of tardy thank-you notes and unanswered RSVPs, Alison upholds the title by always bringing a hostess gift and keeping a copy of The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette on her nightstand (seriously).
Copy Editor Amber Henderson is accustomed to focusing on the details at work and at home. Whether she's serving roasted chicken alfresco or hamburgers and hot dogs on fine china, Amber loves entertaining and being the gracious hostess. A graduate of the University of Alabama, she worked for a book publishing company before joining the magazine in 2006.
Production Coordinator Holly Goff works with schedules and proofs, among other behind-the-scenes details. She tries to mind these duties in a gracious manner. She has written travel, entertaining, and garden stories for the magazine and also produces the "You've Got to See This" column. She finds shopping for clothes exhausting but is invigorated by throwing a dinner party.
