Vanessa Bush

Vanessa Bush is editor-in-chief of ESSENCE magazine. In this role, Bush will serve as the brand’s editorial leader and oversee the magazine’s content and vision. Most recently, Bush has served as Acting Editor-in-Chief since February of 2013, responsible for leading the editorial team.

Bush first joined ESSENCE more than a decade ago as Beauty and Fashion Features Editor, where she directed all style and beauty sections. In 2003, she was named Lifestyle Editor, responsible for coverage including food, home, parenting and lifestyle. Additionally, Bush was a member of the editorial features team, writing and editing numerous impactful stories – such as Thin Line Between Love and Hate on teen dating violence and Fat Chances chronicling childhood obesity. In 2005, she was named Executive Editor, managing the editorial team to implement the brand’s creative vision, as well as overseeing staffing, systems, operations and the magazine’s operating budget.

Prior to joining ESSENCE, Vanessa served in a variety of editorial capacities at publications such as Life and Glamour. She is also the coauthor of the best-selling beauty and empowerment book, Tyra Banks Beauty Inside & Out.

Vanessa received her Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in English and American Literature from Harvard University, and her Master of Science in magazine concentration from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. In 2003, she was awarded a Journalism Fellowship in Child and Family Policy by the University of Maryland’s Phillip Merrill College of Journalism. She also received a certificate in book and magazine publishing from the New York University Summer Publishing Institute.

Vanessa resides with her family in North Plainfield, New Jersey.