A special thanks to our publisher, Lisa Dionne Lento, and her capable team at John Wiley and Sons, including our associate editor, Donna Petrozzello, who have worked hard to keep the printing presses going and ensuring that each monthly broadsheet gets delivered to your real or virtual mailbox.
Thanks to Natasha Yetman and Cindy Devone-Pacheco, who organize the content of eNewsRheum, our weekly enewsletter highlighting some of the fast-breaking stories, and ACR@Work, the enewsletter highlighting legislative and advocacy issues.
What would our periodical be without the wonderful artwork and illustrations selected by Lil Estep, who has served in this capacity since the inception of The Rheumatologist. Her astute eye for art and graphic design ensures that whatever the story is about, it will look and read even better with her added touches.
To tell the truth, when I assumed the role of physician editor I had no idea about what I was actually getting into. I recognized the daunting task of maintaining the high standards established by our inaugural physician editor, David Pisetsky MD, PhD, and Dawn Antoline, the editor at Wiley, would pose some challenges. Thankfully, I could rely on their wisdom, guidance and support to get me established in my position and allow for a smooth transition.
Working alongside Rick Brasington, MD, and Maura Iversen, DPT, MPH, as my co-editors has been a real treat. Maura has an encyclopedic knowledge of all things musculoskeletal—it’s always great to google her brain. She has a worldwide set of connections that made it easy to find experts in every field of study. Rick is a true Renaissance man, a scholar, a gifted teacher and the premier rheumatologist–beekeeper in the U.S.! Never shy to offer his opinion, he was always available to provide his wise counsel.
What can I say about Keri Losavio, our editor? She is truly the perfect person to work with. Amazingly efficient, thoughtful and organized. Despite the three-hour time zone difference that separated us, our email interchanges seemed more like texting—they were answered within seconds after being sent. Keri can juggle dozens of issues at once and never drop an item or forget a key fact. Her editing skills are impeccable—she is the grammar queen! I will miss our regular chatter and daily interchanges.
A special thank you to my wonderful wife, Linda. My lifetime partner who keeps things in place; my great advisor who helped mold my pieces together. This usually took place on our early morning 10 km runs along the Boston marathon’s Heartbreak Hill, near where we live. Releasing brain endorphins seems to be the best way to release creativity, and Linda knew how to get me to do this best. She was my N of 1 audience who critiqued my essays before I sent them anywhere. We should all be so fortunate when choosing a mate! A shout-out to my three wonderful kids, Seth in San Francisco, Gabrielle in Denver and Katie in Seattle, whose long-distance cheerleading could always be relied upon.
