From the Editor- June 2010

It Takes More Than an Editor to Make a Bulletin
 
This is my tenth column, but not my last. I will have ten more opportunities to share my thoughts with you beginning in September. As we close this volume of the Bulletin I thought that it was an appropriate time to look back and to thank a number of people.
Let me begin by stating that I took on the role of Editor a little earlier than expected. Although I had a vision as to how I had hoped the Bulletin would develop under my tenure, there was little, actually no, time to implement this vision. I was simply too busy learning how to get this job done while working within tight deadlines, with printing and mailing schedules dictating how and when things were to be completed. Maybe the summer hiatus in the Bulletin will provide me the time cushion that I have been hoping for.
As I have stated in the past, these deadlines have also resulted in some errors within the Bulletin, which I acknowledged and accepted responsibility for. There have also been a number of compliments about the Bulletin, in general, and for some of the columns that I have prepared. When all is said and done, I believe this was a successful year for the Bulletin and I remain honored to have been asked to serve as Editor.
 
The Bulletin is not the product of a single individual, but the product of all those who provided content. There is a long list of authors that provided the technical contents for our various monthly meetings. A number of members have gathered and forwarded content while working within tight deadlines. These individuals are Art Donovan, Matthew Cowan, Steve Getz, Jory Pacht, Justin Vanden Brink, and David Tonner. In addition to HGS’s President Gary Colburn, and myself there are a few monthly contributors that I would like to thank – Arlin Howles, Winona LaBrant Smith, and Henry Wise.
 
There is yet another group that is critical to the Bulletin that I need to recognize. My Advisory Editors, James Ragsdale and Charles Revilla, have read and commented on nearly every submission. Their comments have helped bring sharpness, focus, and clarity to the various abstracts, technical notes, and news items. Lilly Hargrave, in the HGS office, handles the Bulletin’s advertising. This advertising is critical to the Bulletin permitting such things as the use of color and the occasional increase in the number of pages. HGS appreciates all of our advertisers for their continued support. The design and layout of each Bulletin is not a simple task. Lisa Krueger has provided us with that professional “look” that we expect the Bulletin to maintain. She has also helped me learn how the Bulletin is produced and has provided me with a corporate memory.
 
Last but not least, I must thank my wife Terry. When talking about Terry, I really don’t know where to begin. I probably should start with her tolerance and willingness to share my time with HGS. My job as Editor has largely been accomplished on her time, at our kitchen table. She is also my consigliere, serving as a sounding board when a decision needs to be made. She is also my editor. She and she alone, reviews my monthly column. Her critiques, which at times have changed the tone, emphasis, and length of my columns, and have always improved their quality, are appreciated beyond words. For these things and for so much more, I thank her.
 
Enjoy your summer and thank you for taking the time to read and occasionally comment on my columns. As always, I look forward to receiving your thoughts, suggestions, comments, and criticisms.
Until next time…