David Johnson, editorial director/associate publisher of Lighting Dimensions and Entertainment Design magazines, today announced that Marian Sandberg-Dierson has been named editor of Lighting Dimensions, effective Feb. 27. In addition, Mark Newman has been named managing editor and Lauren Thompson has been named editorial coordinator for both magazines. All three will report to Johnson.

The addition of Sandberg-Dierson, Newman, and Thompson represent the first steps in the overall plan to re-focus Lighting Dimensions as a hands-on technical journal dedicated to the new generation of lighting professional.

“Having Marian, Mark, and Lauren on staff brings much needed new editorial blood to both the magazines and the industry,” says Johnson. “I’m confident we now have the team in place to re-create Lighting Dimensions in a manner that both reflects where the industry is heading in the next 10 years and one that’s fitting for a 25-year-old institution and the only magazine in the market dedicated exclusively to entertainment lighting.”

Sandberg-Dierson has been involved in the pro lighting and audio industries since 1996. She handled publicity and marketing communications for lighting and audio distributor Group One Ltd. where she gained valuable experience as the US media contact for such high profile clients as Clay Paky and XTA Electronics. She most recently provided public relations and recruiting consulting services to the lighting and audio industries on a freelance basis through her own company, The Mass Communications Group. She is married to Emmy-nominated lighting designer Patrick Dierson.

Newman spent four years as editor of Lighting Design + Application, the official publication of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, where he spearheaded the effort to bring more entertainment lighting into the book. He has extensive experience in magazine publishing as a reporter, editor, and managing editor. Newman begins his new job on March 1. Thompson, whose first day is today, comes to ED/LD from the jewelry industry, where she served as both editorial assistant, project editor, and Web archive editor. Industry vets will be pleased to learn she also served a stint as bartender in a pub in England during her studies abroad.

These new additions to the ED/LD staff join Johnson, consulting editor Ellen Lampert-Greaux, art director John Scott, East Coast sales rep Aimee Eckert, West Coast/International sales rep Holly O’Hair, and group publisher Bob MacArthur. Expect to see many of these team members at such upcoming trade shows as USITT, NSCA, Prolight + Sound (Musik Messe), and Lightfair International.

“I’m very excited to be working with this restructured and reinvigorated team,” says MacArthur. “As a manager I couldn’t be more pleased to have the team assembled that David has brought together. We have in place a fresh group of people with a fresh point of view who are excited about the marketplace and ready to take on all challenges.”