Yogi Berra, as widely known for his creativity with the English language as for any on-field accomplishments during his Major League career, once offered some sage advice: "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."
While his GPS may have been somewhat circumspect, the theory behind his directionally challenged dictum was sound as oftentimes opportunity is not a lengthy visitor.
So I'm both happy and sad to report that I have taken that proverbial fork in the road. After more than 11 years at the helm of Accounting Today, I'm leaving for other pursuits.
Departing both a publication and a staff that you have watched grow over the years is never easy, but then I don't recall hearing that making any career-changing choice ever is.
Since September of 2000 when I first assumed the editor's reins here until now, I've been the fortunate recipient of wisdom and life lessons gleaned from scores of those in the profession far brighter and more experienced than me, and hopefully applied what I've learned into evolving both in my vocation and also as a person.
There are so many people to thank over that near 12-year timeline I would undoubtedly slight more than a few for failing to mention them, so I'll take the easy way out and just issue a gargantuan expression of gratitude to all our contributors - long-time, short-time, few time and even one-time - for helping make Accounting Today the top publication in the public accounting space - bar none.
To my staff, arguably the best ever assembled in the quarter-century Accounting Today has served the profession. Many have unfairly credited me for their success and synergy, but all I did was be smart enough to get the hell out of the way and let them loose.
Roger Russell, who began the same day I did, more than capably anchored our core tax coverage for more than a decade; Seth Fineberg, who on his second tour of duty at AcToday, has taken the technology coverage to tech coverage 3.0; Mike Cohn, our web editor, who transformed our online portal from a plain-vanilla repository to a multi-faceted online centerpiece of news and feature content. Danielle Lee, overseer of our social media and Accounting Tomorrow channels, has, in just over one year at the helm, become one the profession's fastest-rising media profiles in that space not to mention gaining legions of followers in the process.
And lastly to managing editor Dan Hood, whose behind-the-scenes organizational skills and critical thinking not only made our copy and design sparkle, but was instrumental in vaulting our franchises like Top 100 Firms and Top 100 People to become the most widely read and in-demand annual features of any content in the accounting profession. And I am delighted to report that he will succeed me as editor-in-chief, a well-deserved appointment if there ever was one.
Happily, my new post will still leave me squarely in the accounting space, so our paths will continue to intersect at many of the major conferences and shows.
So, think of this as a new beginning for both myself and you, our readership.
Although my work here is done, I leave you in very capable hands going forward.
Till we meet again.
