IPEd is proud to announce that the winner of the 2022 Janet Mackenzie Medal (the Mackenzie) is Renée Otmar DE.
The Mackenzie is IPEd’s highest award and honours the memory of revered editor, author and IPEd member Janet Mackenzie DE (1947–2018). The Mackenzie is given to an outstanding professional editor who has lifted the standard of the editing profession and/or given exemplary service to IPEd.
Renée Otmar has been a professional editor for more than 30 years and is held in high regard throughout the profession and the industry. She has worked extensively as an editor, senior editor and managing editor, in both in-house and freelance environments. Her editing practice has involved manuscript assessment, developmental editing, copyediting, copywriting and proofreading in fiction, non-fiction and academic narratives. As one of her nominators said, “Renée’s knowledge of editing is formidable and her service to the editing profession exemplary.”
As a certified coach, Renée coaches editors and writers and provides professional supervision for those working with sensitive or disturbing content. She has facilitated training courses and workshops on a range of topics for editors and related professionals over the past two decades, many of these hosted by various branches of IPEd, as well as RMIT University, the Australian Library and Information Association and many others.
Since 2009, Renée has developed a research career in public health, in parallel with her editing and coaching work. She has served as a Board Director of IPEd and Life Stories Australia and, since 2013, as a researcher member of two human research ethics committees.
In 2000, Renée was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the Society of Editors (Vic.), now the IPEd branch, Editors Victoria. In 2008, she became a Distinguished Editor of IPEd. Renée has published articles and blogs on editing and related topics, as well as a book on business skills for editors, Marketing your freelance editing business: A guide for Australian editors (2011). Her recent work is Editing for sensitivity, diversity and inclusion: A guide for professional editors (2020).
Renée has given countless hours of her time to the editing profession, from her service at Editors Victoria to IPEd-wide working parties, standing committees and the IPEd Board. “She has advocated tirelessly for the editing profession,” said one of her nominators. “Long before it was a recognised role, Renée acted as an ambassador for the profession in the industry and in society at large through her extensive networks.”
Congratulations, Renée, from all at IPEd. You are a most worthy recipient of this award.