Faces of San Miguel: Camie Fenton, A connector of people and ideas

By Natalie Taylor. Photo by Lander Rodríguez

They say that it’s good to have a plan, but don’t be surprised if you are taken somewhere else, and Camie Fenton is a great example of this. Born in Seattle, she was given a visit to San Miguel de Allende as a high school graduation gift from her uncle. Her father’s brother, Don Fenton, came to San Miguel on the GI bill, met and married Gloria Sautto, and settled here.

Camie returned to Seattle, but always remembered fondly that first taste of San Miguel. She continued her college education in communication and art, then ran an advertising and marketing agency for seventeen years in Seattle.

The good memories of her time in San Miguel remained, however, as well as her uncle and his family. In 2000 she moved permanently to San Miguel de Allende.

Not one to stick to only one thing, Camie joined several clubs and charitable organizations and quickly became part of the community. Her creative spirit and enjoyment of collaborative work led to the making of a book—The Colors of San Miguel—filled with photos of the city done by various photographers. Because she missed art, she learned fine arts printing at Bellas Artes in 2003, later built her own studio and subsequently had a number of shows. Then, in 2010, she began publishing The Walking and Shopping Guide, which provides locals and newcomers with information about businesses in town.

Through all these activities, what always stood out was Camie’s love and dedication to community. Some years after Carmen Masip, founder of the Chamber Music Festival, died, Camie stepped in and became Director.

One of the most important decisions came in 2023 when Camie saw the demise of the local newspaper Atención. The iconic local paper had existed for almost fifty years and was suddenly gone, leaving a deep void for the residents and visitors of San Miguel de Allende. Keenly aware of the need, Camie decided that with her many years of experience in print, she could start a community paper. Her staff on the Walking and Shopping Guide was experienced in the acquisition of ads, they knew about deadlines, formatting, and layout. They also had a reliable printer. What she needed was a staff of writers to provide content.

In August of 2023, only a month or so after Atención put out its final edition, she placed an ad on social media asking for writer participation in her new project. Having been on the staff of Atención myself, I was immediately interested when the notice appeared and contacted Camie. In September of 2023, the first copy of Insiders’ News was published. It was in black and white, and it only had 24 pages. But it was the start.

Over the next two years, the paper transformed from that first edition. It is now in color, and the volunteer staff of writers has grown to over 20, with each providing a particular insight into San Miguel de Allende. In February 2025, the Biblioteca Pública approached Camie with a proposal to continue with the Atención name, including Qué Pasa, the supplement that lists the myriad activities in town.“You are the person who knows how to do it,” they told her.

She accepted the proposal, and on the second anniversary of Insiders’ News, on September 1^st, 2025, the publication will become Atención News and continue the old community newspaper tradition.

Camie takes on the new phase of publishing as a challenge and an honor. She is proud to carry on the legacy and accepts the responsibility. As the new publisher, she has a vision of what the new Atención News will be. All the stories must be San Miguel stories—they start and/or end in our city. Second, the focus is on the positive—events that impact us in a good way, and people who have a positive influence. Atención News will be a monthly publication, a cross between a newspaper and a magazine, with a major digital presence. All stories will be translated into Spanish and will appear in the online edition.

Since that first visit as a teenager, Camie Fenton has come full circle to become an integral part of the San Miguel community, connecting people in the city to one another and connecting San Miguel to the rest of the world by means of the printed word.

www.natalietaylor.org