A look in.

This issue is a wrap--in several ways. Profile 2002 is included, which wraps up the latest information on the state of the profession along with current demographics, salaries and related statistics. We also take a look at profile surveys from the time this association was known as the International Council of Industrial Editors up to the current Profile 2002, which gives us a pretty good picture of what we were, and what we are today. And Lou Williams offers an analysis of what it all means (in his opinion).

Then we have the annual conference wrap, a section devoted to summarizing highlights of ABC's recent international conference. This is especially valuable for those who were unable to attend, and it should offer incentives to attract attenders to the next conference once they've seen what they missed this June. We have interviews, too. John G. Clemons, ABC, APR, ABC past president, wraps up his term of office by candidly discussing events and issues that he helped influence throughout the past year. In addition, the EXCEL winner, Richard M. Schulze, gives us excellent perspective on how he values communication.

And it's a wrap for me, as well. This is my last issue editing Communication World. A new team is taking over, and I'm sure you'll be impressed by their expertise, dedication and enthusiasm. Natasha Spring will assume duties as executive editor, providing strategic direction for the magazine and enhancing its revenue-producing abilities. A veteran of ABC since 1991, she was the ABC Research Foundation director for the last three years. Spring began her career as head of ABC publications. Before joining ABC, she worked as director of development for the Foundation for Teaching Economics; as a marketing associate with Heery International, an architectural firm; and she conducted interviews for the nonprofit URSA Institute. Spring holds a bachelor's in mass communication from the University of California, Berkeley.

Naomi Mandelstein, as CW's senior editor, will be responsible for planning editorial content and working with contributors. Mandelstein joined ABC in September 2001 as senior production manager, a position in which she helped develop new content, negotiated with authors and coordinated production of each new ABC product. Before joining ABC, Mandelstein worked at Monduzzi Editore, an international medical and scientific publishing company in Bologna, Italy, where she was the project editor and worked on approximately 20 books each year, encompassing the writings of 3,000 authors from around the world. While attending Vassar College, she interned at Abbeyville Press, an art book publishing company in New York City. She graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Italian and correlate sequence in art.

Virginia Sowers, managing editor, is with Douglas Murphy Communications Inc., a full-service editing, production, art direction and advertising sales organization. She will manage CW editorial production, copyediting and general "pulling it all together" daily needs, rounding out an outstanding team dedicated to making Communication World the best it can be.

In closing, my thanks to all of you who have given so freely your experience and expertise through your contributions to CW. Not only have you made the magazine one of the most valued member benefits (and the profession's) you've certainly made my job as editor an easy one over these 18 years! I may be leaving ABC staff, but I'll never leave ABC--it's an extended family.