Power Moves: Hunt a Killer’s new exec, and a new publisher for OutLook By the Bay

Power Moves is a column where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, new gig or promotion? Tell us: baltimore@technical.ly.

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An acquisition in community media means a Maryland magazine focusing on active adults in the Chesapeake Bay area will have a new editor and publisher.

In the agreement, Columbia-based Whong Community Media acquired OutLook by the Bay magazine from OutLook By The Bay, LLC and Annapolis’ Tecla Murphy. Terms were not disclosed.

With the move, Whong Community Media principal Jason Whong will become editor and publisher of OutLook By the Bay. Whong most recently served as digital editor for Maryland legal news outlet The Daily Record, working in that role since 2015. He previously worked over 11 years as a photographer, reporter and digital editor for Gannett newspapers in Central New York.

Published since 2007, OutLook By the Bay is a bimonthly magazine that is distributed primarily in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties.  The next issues of OutLook by the Bay are scheduled to deliver in June, and Whong is planning to launch a new website by that time.

“I’m especially grateful to Tecla for the work she did establishing OutLook by the Bay and making it what it is today,” Whong said in a statement. “Going forward, I plan to develop a strong digital audience to complement the audience that receives OutLook by the Bay, while growing the magazine.”

Murphy has written nine American history-focused young adult books under the nom de plume Tecla Emerson. Going forward, she plans to devote more time to writing and illustrating future books that are in development.

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Baltimore immersive entertainment company Hunt A Killer is bringing three leaders to its board of directors, and adding one as an exec.

Founded in 2016, the company makes subscription box murder mystery games. It has shown growth, reaching over $50 million in revenue in 2020, and was tabbed as the #6 company on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list. A digital and in-person game called “Death At The Dive Bar” also launched in the last year, and is available at Target and Amazon.

Yasmin Moorman is joining the company’s operating team as chief business and operations officer, as well as the board of directors. Moorman will head up digital distribution, and ensure integration of the company’s different functions as it expands. She most recently served as VP of growth and direct-to-consumer distribution at television company Discovery, Inc., along with past leadership roles at NBCUniversal Media and Nickelodeon.

“I have been so impressed with how far this bootstrapped company has grown in just under five years and, with the new board formation, Hunt A Killer is really cementing the building blocks for future growth,” said Moorman. “I also have a lot of confidence in the team’s ability to meet the creative challenges of making immersive storylines work in new channels and environments, like digital. So, I perceive really strong growth opportunities for Hunt A Killer.”

Also joining the board is Allyn Hebner, partner and CFO at Seattle-based business management firm NextLevel; and John Kretchmer, CEO of American Licorice Company. The board also includes cofounders Ryan Hogan and Derrick Smith, who serve as the company’s CEO and VP of of development, respectively.

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Westminster’s Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory (MAGIC) recently welcomed Dr. DaVida Anderson as a member of its board of directors.

Anderson is director of student care and integrity at Carroll Community College. She is also the founder of Strong Sister, Silly Sister, a nonprofit offering networking for first-year women college students.

MAGIC is the nonprofit working to activate the tech community around the Carroll County city’s fiber broadband network.

“Dr. Anderson has all of the expertise that MAGIC needs to improve our ability to serve the Westminster community,” said Graham Dodge, MAGIC’s executive director, in a statement. “Her role at Carroll will help MAGIC with development and outreach for our educational programs, and as a member of the Transit Advisory Council, she’ll be able to help MAGIC in our efforts in transportation equity.”

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Baltimore CRM and loyalty marketing agency Response Labs recently hired Amanda Coffin as account director. In the role, she will lead strategic planning for programs and clients of the-based agency, as well as provide insight and analysis on existing campaigns.

Coffin most recently served as client account director at outcome-based marketing firm Epsilon, and worked as an email marketing manager and project manager for the startup TrueCar.

Response Labs is based out of Baltimore’s Emerging Technology Center, and also has offices in Seattle. Check out a pair of roles that are still open.