About the Writers

Norman Blackburn

Born in the FDR era in the Hollywood Hospital in Los Angeles, Norm’s family has stints in New York while his father worked for NBC and J. Walter Thompson ad agency.
 
He went to the Taft School in CT and then moved back to So.Cal and graduated from high school at the Webb School in Claremont, CA.
Norm attended Pomona College, served in the Army in Korea and graduated from the University of Southern California with a major in advertising.
 
He joined the Young & Rubicam ad agency in the mailroom in the Hollywood office. Transferred to the LA office he moved into the traffic department. He then went with a spin-off agency to become the radio and TV account executive on the Union Oil account.
 
The Milici Valenti ad agency in Honolulu hired Norm in 1965. He moved his family there and resided in Kailua.
 
Norm spent his career at Milici until his retirement in 1997. Along the way he was named Executive Vice President, Ad Man of the Year, received the AFF Silver medal award was president of two Rotary Clubs, and had a hell of a great time.
 
He now lives in Santa Rosa, CA with his lovely wife, Nancy. He has three children and ten grandchildren. A lifelong Republican, Norm often comments on the issues of the day.

Recent columns by Norm Blackburn