I have a Polaroid photo on my desk—a picture of me. I don’t keep other photos of myself on display (unless my sons are in the picture). But this Polaroid is special: It was taken on my first day on the job at NSBA.

On that December morning, 25 years ago, I was excited and nervous. I had been a newspaper reporter for several years. But my dream since college has been to work for a magazine. And here I was, starting as an assistant editor to American School Board Journal.

Many things were different then, of course. We hadn’t heard of the internet yet. The publishing industry was robust. I joined a large staff of editors and writers, and we produced two magazines each month: ASBJ and the now-defunct Executive Educator. I’d covered education as a reporter, and I was thrilled with the chance to delve more deeply into education issues.

Through the years, my job changed and grew. I’ve met countless dedicated and innovative school board members, administrators, and educators through interviews, school visits, and conferences.

At first, I was happy to focus on writing and reporting articles. As I gained knowledge and experience, I wanted to influence and shape the whole magazine. I was named managing editor in 2007, and I became editor-in-chief in 2013.

I am privileged to write for school leaders and to work for an organization in whose mission I believe. With every issue, my goal is to provide you with the insight and information that will help you do your jobs, which in turn helps your students and community.

I keep the Polaroid on my desk to remind me of that hopeful first day a quarter of a century ago. I remain hopeful, and I’m sending that hope out to all of you for 2020.

Until the next issue. . .