Mary Burleson has retired after more than 23 years of distinguishedservice as President of Whitman Publishing, capping a remarkable 38-year career with the Andersoncompanies.

A native of Haleyville, Alabama, and an Alabama football fan for life, Burleson earned her Bachelorof Arts from the University of North Alabama. She began her career with the Anderson NewsCompany in 1986, rising through the ranks to lead Whitman Publishing in 2001. She played a crucialrole in the recent acquisition of Whitman Publishing by CDN Publishing, ensuring a seamlesstransition and operational continuity for associates in Florence, Alabama, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Throughout her tenure, Burleson expertly steered Whitman through several significant milestones,including H.E. Harris' acquisition of Whitman Publishing from St. Martin's Press, the relocation ofcompany headquarters, the purchase of the formerly named Baltimore Coin Show, and navigatingthe challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, she oversaw Whitman's acquisition byCDN Publishing in November 2023.

Mary accepts the 2016 Elvira Clain-StefanelliMemorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics alongside Jeff Garrett, Senior Editor of the Red Book.

In a heartfelt message to her colleagues, Burleson reflected on her time at Whitman: "Thank you forletting me be a part of your lives for the last 38 years. It has been a wonderful journey... I appreciatethe years of support during the highs and lows of the business and leave with a heart overflowingwith wonderful memories." She added, "...words like gratitude, thankful, happiness, indebtednesscome to mind, but none can fully express how I feel about my years at Whitman."

Under Burleson's leadership, Whitman released over 500 new titles and maintained the continuousupdating and record-breaking sales of key standard references like A Guide Book of United StatesCoins and Handbook of United States Coins. She also played a pivotal role in establishing theWhitman Coin & Collectible Expo, now Whitman Expos, as North America's premier coin andcurrency show producer. Burleson was a familiar and respected presence at regional and nationalconventions and worked tirelessly with the American Numismatic Association, the U.S. Mint, andvarious organizations, writers, and researchers to advance the field of numismatics.

John Feigenbaum, President and CEO of Whitman Brands, expressed his gratitude for Burleson'sleadership, stating, "Mary has been a rock and leader for Whitman for so many years. We can'tthank her enough for her love and dedication to the organization and its people. One of the things Inoticed and admired very early on was the fact that Mary treated every associate like family." Headded, "Congratulations on a very successful career!"

In recognition of her contributions, Burleson was honored with the 2016 Elvira Clain-StefanelliMemorial Award for Achievement in Numismatics and was named one of Coin World's 100 MostInfluential People in Numismatics in 2022.

As she embarks on the next chapter of her career, Burleson will rejoin the Anderson family in aleadership role at American Promotional Events, Inc. and continue her role as co-owner of KADisplay Solutions, LLC. with her husband Bob Burleson.About Whitman Brands

Formed from the 2023 merger of the numismatic publishing powerhouses of CDN and Whitman,Whitman Brands™ combines the revered titles of Red Book, Blue Book, 00 Greatest,Cherrypicker's Guides, and an expansive line of folders, albums, and supplies, that have longdominated the retail landscape with the pricing and data-rich expertise of Greysheet, Greensheet,CPG, CDN Exchange, and the Banknote Book.

Whitman Brands offers a comprehensive and rich coverage of collectibles, literature, cataloging andpricing, which embraces the heritage of numismatics and seeks to enrich the lives of all coin andpaper money enthusiasts. As North America's leading producer of coin and currency shows,Whitman Expos and its three industry leading events in Baltimore further enhance the brandportfolio and expand the company's national reach.

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
WHITMAN PUBLISHER DENNIS TUCKER RETIRING(https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n06a07.html)