Handing over the reins

The stellar reputation of Geosynthetics magazine is due to its reporting on innovative solutions to complex problems, publishing well-researched articles written by experts in their fields, and consistently putting in print reliable and relevant information for engineers, project managers, and employees of companies engaged in geosynthetics.

This is largely due to the 11-year stewardship of Ron Bygness, a journalist and editor of high standards who has led this magazine with discerning editorial judgment, deep professional contacts with the leaders of the geosynthetics world, his own status as a thought leader in the industry, and a dedication to providing high-quality articles about geosynthetics to an appreciative readership.

These are big shoes to fill, and I don’t take lightly the responsibility bestowed on me as the new editor of Geosynthetics following
Ron’s retirement.

I come to this position with many years’ experience in the publishing world, largely in book publishing, but I also edited a quarterly publication about Grand Canyon National Park for nine years and, early in my career, worked as a journalist for a radio station and a print newspaper. I have written or co-written five books, two on the history of the Grand Canyon, one on the lighthouses of the Great Lakes, and two guidebooks in multiple editions. I have successfully edited hundreds of publications and articles on wide-ranging subjects, including the geomorphology of the Colorado Plateau, bat guano as an energy source, depression in the workplace, gun dog training, California condors, hog butchering, Steampunk culture, vintage John Deere tractors, Fender Stratocaster guitar maintenance, Led Zeppelin (the band), refinishing hardwood floors, and vertical vegetable gardening. As a long-time editor and writer, I believe words have the power to change the world, inform the masses, and make lives better.

Geosynthetics will continue to be the go-to publication for the geosynthetics industry, as I draw upon my own high standards for the publication of information and ideas that are pertinent, eye-opening, accurate, and informative for the magazine’s readership. I will meet many of you at conferences and trade shows, and, as subscribers to the magazine and members of the Geosynthetic Materials Association, you will be my expert sources for articles, knowledge about the geosynthetics industry, and advice about the editing of the magazine. I look forward to our collaboration in the years to come, and my phone line and inbox are always open.