The Iguana Bids Farewell to Editor Emeritus Mark Piotrowski

by joe courter

Homegrown Gainesville community organizer and swell human being Mark Piotrowski, who most recently designed the Iguana in its revived presence over the past year, has embarked on a new phase of his life with a move to Tallahassee to work with the Florida Education Association and his impending entry into fatherhood with his partner Janeen. That will be one well-loved kid.

Mark first came into contact with us while still in high school more than 20 years ago, when a friend of his passed a copy of the Iguana on to him. He became a student activist at UF in the Freedom Coalition and was part of the founding of the Civic Media Center in 1993. He also worked on the Freedom Coalition’s newspaper as well as assisting the Iguana during that period. He has been a committed movement activist ever since, whether here in town with the Labor Party, or during his sojourns out of town in Boston or elsewhere.

When we produce this paper and turn each month’s 4,500 copies out on the world, all we can hope is that the information within can raise the knowledge and consciousness of the persons reading it, let them know of events and struggles near and far, or connect them to historic movements of the past on which we all stand. We usually don’t know what sparks we set off, but in Mark’s case, thanks to his friend Lara, we and the movement gained one hell of an organizer. We know he’ll be back, but we want to publicly wish him and Janeen the best of luck as this next phase of life unfolds.

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