Janice Weiss: A Long and Distinguished Career of Achievement and Professionalism

After 39 years with Tourist Attractions & Parks magazine, Janice Weiss, publisher emeritus and a valuable member of the advertising sales team, is retiring. During her career Weiss has logged countless hours making phone calls, traveling to trade shows, snapping photographs and building relationships with vendors who have become more family members than clients. Her positive attitude, professionalism, candor and assertive, friendly nature will be missed by the amusement industry companies she worked with and the TAP editorial and sales staffs alike.
Weiss was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in the Bronx. She earned a master’s degree from Brooklyn College and met her husband shortly before he went into the United States Army. The couple was married on one of his leaves in 1943, and had three children, a son and two daughters.
After working as a stay-at-home mom, Weiss took a job with Souvenirs, Gifts & Novelties magazine during its founding in 1962, and joined the staff of sister publication Tourist Attractions & Parks when it was founded in 1972. She paved the way for future sales staff members at both magazines by traveling to trade shows all over the country and introducing the magazines to their industries. Weiss also pioneered the idea of cocktail parties and dinners before and after the trade shows, a practice that is common good business today. During her tenure, both TAP and SGN have grown into authoritative sources for finding the best vendors and keeping up with industry trends and news.
Weiss’ work ethic, intelligence and charm have made her many friends in the industry.
Here are tributes from just a few of her colleagues in the amusement business:

“I have just been notified our long-time representative with Tourist Attractions & Parks magazine is retiring. We wish Janice well in a well-deserved retirement. At the same time, we at Adventureglass will miss her tremendously, her always pleasant way of informing us on how to get the best possible value and result for our money will be greatly missed. Janice’s professionalism has made us very comfortable doing business with TAP. Janice has become a real friend. Janice will be greatly missed by us at Adventureglass.”
– Adventureglass, North Webster, Ind.

Scott Borowsky
President and Executive Editor
Tourist Attractions & Parks magazine

Hello Scott:
I just wanted to take the time to write to you and let you know I will dearly miss Janice when she retires. In the five and a half years I have been with my company, I have had the pleasure of getting to know Janice as our Tourist Attractions & Parks magazine “Wonder Woman.” I can’t even begin to imagine what all she must do to keep everything so organized, she truly makes it look effortless. I must say though, whomever you find to replace Janice upon her retirement, has some very big shoes to fill. Janice is always on top of things and never misses an opportunity to keep her advertisers informed of any and all changes as they happen. I, as well as many other advertisers I suppose, have taken for granted all the reminder phone calls that Janice makes to us every year. I guess you could say we are spoiled.

I wish you many more years of success with your wonderful and always informative magazine.

Respectfully,

Tauna Bowman
Customer Service
Mahoning Valley Manufacturing, Inc.
Damascus, Ohio

“Janice Weiss has been selling advertising to Kay Park Recreation for more than 35 years.  During that time she has not only been an associate, but a friend to us.  She was very faithful to come by and visit us in our IAAPA booth every year, always with a smile and a hug – and a camera.  We missed seeing her when she had to stop coming to shows, but enjoyed her continued sales calls for Tourist Attractions and Parks magazine. We will miss her, but never forget her, and wish her many happy years of all the best in her retirement.”
- Keith Borglum and Marilee Gray, Kay Park-Recreation Corp., Janesville, Iowa

“All of us at Jacobson Hat Company wish Janice Weiss all the best as she retires from her long association with Tourist Attractions & Parks magazine. What a professional!! I always admired Janice’s amazing persistence and tenacity when it came to pulling in advertisers for her magazine. Janice was successful in my opinion because she loved what she did. She believed in her message, and convinced us all that without putting our ads in Tourist Attractions & Parks, no one would remember us or find us when it was time to order merchandise. Her charm and her good nature always won us over, and Janice always followed up. We will miss Janice, and wish her continued good health so she can enjoy her well-deserved retirement. Best Wishes,”
- David Dickstein, treasurer, Jacobson Hat Co., Inc., Scranton, Pa.

“Although we haven’t met in person, I will always treasure hearing Janice’s voice on the line. In my 15 years with National Ticket Company, she has always been pleasant and helpful. My wish is for Janice to have good health and to discover new and interesting things in her well-deserved retirement!”
- Ginger M. Seidel, Advertising/Exhibit Coordinator, National Ticket Company, Shamokin, Pa.

“I was so sorry to hear that Janice retired. She was great and I loved to deal with her. I wish her the very best.” -Robert Berk

“Just wanted to add Anchor Industries’ congratulations on Janice’s retirement. As I discussed with her, she has had as many retirement announcements as Michael Jordan. Janice was such a staple at the IAAPA Trade Show and Gibsonton, that I know I will miss her smiling face. She was always a pleasure to talk to and her voice is one of only a handful that I recognize as soon as I lifted up the phone. May her Golden Years be filled with rest and fun.”
- Dan Seeber, manager, Anchor Industries Inc, Custom Products Division, Evansville, Iowa

Dear Janice,
My heavens, how lucky can I get finding a friend like you! I just got back from Chicago and I find my gorgeous purse. I just love it!!! Thanks a million.

Janice, the only thing that taints my delight is that you have to reciprocate for the cart. Please believe me, it is my pleasure and always will be. I know it’s no fun to walk a show. Anyway, I just enjoy you and I’m looking forward to seeing you in Florida.

Yours truly,
Helen M. McGuire, Chairman
Odyssey Mobility Systems, Inc.,
Houston, Texas

P.S. Thanks for the picture. Dolly Parton, eat your heart out! Janice, whenever you’re going down to Florida, give me a call.

Best Wishes Janice!