our Team

Emily Watkins.

Publisher and Editor

Meet Emily, the owner of Rochester Women Magazine since the beginning of 2020. Emily is excited to take the helm of such a well-known and well-loved magazine. Her degree in French from St. Olaf College and her fitness certifications, earned while running her last business, Empowered Wellness & Fitness Studio, aren’t coming in really handy now, but they’re a fun ice breaker and great in the game “Three Truths and a Lie.”

She was born and grew up in Illinois and has lived in Rochester since 2007. She loves to travel, dance, cook, act, sing, paint, sew, decorate, shop, read, eat good food and drink red wine, and she exercises sometimes because she knows it’s good for her. She is married to Justin, and they have two teenage sons, James and Danny, and one German Shepherd/Husky mix named Kai.

She loves to gather and tell the stories of Rochester area women. Her strong belief in the abundance mindset drives her to make longer tables to ensure that we all enjoy the beauty and bounty of life.

Alexandra Petrova hails from Russia. She pursued a Master’s in French linguistics, followed by additional certificates in the French language pedagogy in Paris, France. In 2010, Alexandra and her husband, Bharath Wootla, moved from France to Rochester, MN. Although subject to a culture shock at the beginning of their US experience, they call Rochester, MN, their home ten years later. Alexandra embraces her life in Minnesota and has made the most of her new experience via the Instagram account, @Rochester_MN, as an outlet for her to share the city’s photos and a way to connect with many like-minded people.

Barbara Jordan is thrilled to join the fantastic Rochester Women Magazine team. She will seek to make her contributions as community editor inclusive and diverse with a broad and deep reach to women in Rochester.
For this work, Barbara will draw on her almost thirty-year history of active engagement in Rochester, ranging from roles leading nonprofit boards, to building coalitions across the community, to her professional work at Mayo Clinic. She is excited to share her community connections with the members of the editorial team. Barbara identifies as Black woman, wife, mother, woman of faith
and fast friend.

Erin works full-time job is as a Resource Developer for 1517 Media in Minneapolis, MN, but has been a freelance editor and writer since 2010 and has worked for Rochester Women since 2013. She lives in south Minneapolis with her husband, toddler, and doggie, but she loves staying connected to her hometown through her work on this local magazine.

Jen Jacobson is a proud Rochester woman of the last 17 years, when her first editing job brought her back to her home state of Minnesota. She’s a mom of two teen daughters, two mildly-wacky rescue pooches and two cats (it’s hard to say who gives the most attitude). When she’s not slinging commas, she loves cooking and baking, learning new board games, creating music, planning road trip surprises, and solid naps.

I am the layout designer for Rochester Women magazine. I grew up in Prior Lake, MN and moved to Rochester in 2002. I have been in layout design for over 20 years and it is what I really love to do.

Dr. Rosei Skipper is a psychiatrist, therapist, movement teacher, promoter and freelance writer. She is passionate about supporting her community and building a more just and inclusive world. She lives in Rochester with her partner Andrew and a very fluffy kitty named Freddie Mercury.

Samantha has always loved making things “pretty.” Her level of patience necessitates that pretty must also be simple and practical to remain sustainable! Currently a professional organizer by day, Samantha holds a professional background in both cosmetology and personal styling. A true believer of the term “more with less,” she hopes to bring a balanced approach to the fashion & beauty department for RWM readers.

A professional designer who pushes herself to create memorable work that exceeds her clients’ expectations while capturing their imaginations. She has experience designing an array of digital and print media, and she loves working on new projects for her clients.

Born and raised in Taiwan by a picky-eater dad and a mom who’ll try anything, Tiffany has tasted a world of flavors. Through traveling, she learned the relationship between food and culture, and the importance of supporting local. Tiffany currently works as a food photographer, blogger, and occasional artist and designer. You can visit choochoocachew.com to learn more about her foods.

Emily Watkins.

Our team

Alexandra Petrova

Barbara Jordan

Erin Gibbons

Jen Jacobson

Kate Brue

Dr. Rosei Skipper

Samantha Erickson

Tessa Slisz

Tiffany Alexandria