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 Tina and Francis Léger, Co-Publishers
You could say husband and wife team, Tina and Francis Léger, have been working together since their early days in the CIA – the Culinary Institute of America, that is, where they met as students in the mid ’80s. Over the years, they’ve made the transition from the culinary industry into business management and in 1999 entered the publishing industry when they bought into the Perfect Wedding Guide franchise. Now, in their third decade of their personal and professional partnership, these parents of three young children are excited to announce their newest arrival. Tina and Francis acquired the Central Florida edition of Modern Babies & Children in 2007. The couple is also producing the "SummerFun Expo" for families who are looking for summer camp activities. In their free time, they enjoy spending time with their children and keeping their culinary skills sharp with dinner and cocktail parties.
Francis Léger - Send an Email: Francis@ModernBabiesAndChildren.Com
A Florida native, Francis is excited to help fill what he sees as a void in the marketplace for up-to-date information about products, services, and wholesome entertainment for families. He finds it satisfying to be able to offer answers to the same kinds of questions he and Tina have encountered in raising their two sons and daughter, ranging from ages 3 to 8.
Francis is focusing his attention on the administrative and technical end of Modern Babies & Children. He also enjoys his role in helping advertisers grow their businesses by introducing them to prospective clients.
After hanging up his chef’s hat years ago, this longtime entrepreneur has worn many others – including country club management, hosting his own cooking show (pre Food Channel) on local cable television in Atlanta, and owning his own driving range.
Tina Léger – Send an Email: Tina@ModernBabiesAndChildren.com
Just like her husband, Tina’s professional roots started in the restaurant kitchen. She made her way from the “back of the house” to the business and management side of the industry, transitioned into coordinating weddings, and eventually bought into Perfect Wedding Guide, after advertising her own business in the publication. Moving along with her brides and grooms to the next phase of life was a natural.
Tina’s focus with Modern Babies & Children is working with advertisers and helping to connect them to local families. However, when it comes to a job description, her children have their own idea. She reports that they are utterly thrilled that their mommy “owns her own dot com.” At a Halloween party, one of the kids introduced Tina as “She’s Modern Babies & Children dot com.”
As a mom, Tina can’t wait to share activities and events her family has enjoyed and to pick up some new ideas along the way.
She also thrives on working with her husband. They are each other’s ying and yang. Tina describes Francis as big picture oriented; she gets excited about the immediate details.
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 Jay remembers the excitement and tears of joy that followed when he and Karen opened the first issue of Modern Babies & Children just after their newborn was delivered from the printer. Jay likens the experience to becoming a parent for the first time all over again and reports that the great sense of pride continues with each edition.
He focuses on forming partnerships with advertisers and on training new franchisees.
Prior to working with Karen at Wedding Pages and then at The Knot, Jay spent nearly two decades climbing the sales, marketing, and management corporate ladders in the food and wine industries at such companies as E & J Gallo Winery, The Kronheim Companies, and Carnation/Nestle.
Back in college, Jay, an athlete, knew he wasn’t going pro and had the foresight that he would one day miss the competitive spirit and teamwork from which he thrived. At first, he planned to pursue a career in teaching and coaching, but by sophomore year realized he could teach and coach in business. At every level of Jay’s career, he’s served as a mentor. It’s the part of his role with MB&C that he enjoys most.
Jay is a graduate of Frostburg State University.
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 Karen Buck never realized the kind of chord Modern Babies & Children could strike with readers until she received a call she’ll never forget. The magazine’s second issue featured an article about WBAL TV anchor Mindy Basara’s potentially life threatening experience with blood clots during her pregnancy. A reader brought a copy of the story, which had a happy ending, to her doctor’s appointment and explained she had the same symptoms. Turns out, she had similar clots. “If we saved one person’s life from that story, it’s all been worthwhile,” says Karen.
Karen manages the magazine’s content, website, and helps guide the new franchisees.
As a young girl, Karen figure skated competitively and trained away from home until her father said he could no longer finance her passion. Years later, in 1988, while working as the Advertising and Marketing Director for a Baltimore floral business, Karen took on a volunteer position of publishing the souvenir program for the National Figure Skating Championships, which had come to Baltimore. She interviewed more than 200 skaters and wrote their bios, sold advertising, and helped get printing bids. Karen was hooked. Not to mention, her skating background had paid off!
Karen soon learned that the Wedding Pages, a magazine in which the floral business advertised, was for sale. She borrowed $20,000 to purchase the Maryland and Pennsylvania franchises and six months later, with no option to fail, this single mother repaid in full. She later sold the franchises and became a Regional Sales Director for The Knot, which purchased the publication.
Karen continues to publish the Maryland edition of Perfect Wedding Guide. She is a graduate of Villa Julie College.
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