Since then, her life has taken on some aspects of the unconventional. She has been married twice, has three daughters, a stepdaughter, and an adopted nephew. She lives in a “compound” she renovated in the South Valley, where her mother, Sue, has separate quarters, where her business is based, and where she and her life partner, Marty Wilson, have their home. Jill was also on track to make some major changes in her professional life as well.

The New Mexico Women in Business Directory was born in 1981. Jill went to the Commission on the Status of Women, printers, and others in the community. She got nothing but encouragement for the idea. The first directory was pocket-sized, had about 150 listings, and generated about $1,500 from paid advertising. “I pretty much did the work myself. Two women who owned a printing company had some ideas and gave me advice. I paid for word processing and sold ads via flyers and word of mouth. I told the printers to ‘Print as many as you can with this money [that was left after expenses].’ It was a big success. People loved it.”

As she distributed the directory, Jill gained confidence and received much needed emotional support. “I took the directory to a meeting —my first women’s networking group. They applauded. I cried. I was so in awe of what was happening. And that’s been true every year since then.” The directory is now the oldest continually-published directory of its kind in the U.S.

After her success with the directory, Jill had the confidence to pursue a bigger dream—a magazine. In the mid 1980s, she began getting an increasing number of requests for a newsletter—mostly from those listed in the directory, who wanted more information about what other women in Albuquerque were doing. “I looked into the possibility of publishing a newsletter, but I couldn’t see the possibility of establishing a significant profession with a newsletter alone. Then I saw a women’s magazine from another city—it had good quality editorial for business and professional women. I got excited. I knew I could really get my teeth into something like that.”

Publishing a magazine, even a newsletter, would require a bigger commitment; it was a much bigger risk. The directory was published annually and Jill could do it part-time. Producing a more substantial publication more frequently was a different kettle of fish.

“I knew better than to go to a bank, they wouldn’t make loans to a publishing company headed by someone who had limited experience. So I shelved the idea. I didn’t see how it was possible then.”

But Jill didn’t give up. She listened to a marketing tape about newsletters and realized there wasn’t a big difference between a newsletter and a magazine. “It’s basically the same medium. It’s written. There might be differences in size, quality, and sophistication, but the substance is the same. So I returned to the newsletter idea.

“I decided to start. If the interest was there, if advertising would support it, and if I could figure out how to do it well, I would grow it into a magazine.” Albuquerque WOMAN was born in 1988, and has since expanded to become New Mexico WOMAN .

“I went to Shirley Fisher and Jean Wall, then owners of Budget Printing. I told them my vision and they saw it, too. They printed the first newsletter for free in March 1988. I sold three ads at $10 each and we printed 500 copies. I used $30 to pay for the mailing. It was tough.”

“Writers were volunteers for a number of years and I couldn’t have done it without them,” says Jill. “For a long time, our designer was a volunteer as well. The first issue was four pages, then eight pages, then 12 pages. Our first run was 500 copies, then 1,000. Circulation increased rapidly. Readership of the magazine is now more than 40,000 every month.”

For Jill, the editorial part is easy. “We have a good handle on what our readers want. The other piece that seems to fall naturally into place is the connection with the women’s community and the effect the magazine has on individuals within that community. The magazine is fulfilling a vision,” she continues. Its impact on so many lives has exceeded my expectations, and after all this time, I still want it to be bigger and better. I want to continue to enhance women’s lives, help them to grow, to provide opportunities, and to reach out to more women around the state.”

Jill Duval has been involved in the establishment of virtually every important New Mexico women’s organization and event for the last 25 years, including the founding of the local chapter of NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners). Her leadership, participation in, and support of women’s organizations and events has contributed immeasurably to the growth of our community and the national movements to utilize, acknowledge, and celebrate the talents and achievements of women in our society.

With Jill’s can-do attitude, her caring, and the natural way she builds community, one can’t help but wonder how many women have drawn strength

and encouragement from the enterprises of New Mexico Woman Inc. The women of New Mexico have reaped much benefit from Jill’s commitment.

As we have seen the advancement of women in business, and the increasing professional contributions of these businesses to the economy of New Mexico, we know that women-owned businesses have truly moved from the minority to the mainstream.

So, we say Happy Anniversary to the New Mexico Women in Business Directory , New Mexico WOMAN magazine, the Top 25 Women-Owned Businesses in New Mexico, and the New Mexico Young Women of Promise Awards. Congratulations to Jill and the women who have worked with her to help build the company.

M.T. Hyatt is managing editor of New Mexico WOMAN . She previously owned and managed an advertising agency and graphic design firm in Albuquerque.