The issue in your hands marks 10-years of my editing the Florida Journal of Environmental Health.  Serving as editor has given me the opportunity to maintain some favorite activities from my pre-children career.  Prior to staying home to raise our two daughters for their early years, I worked in both newspaper and radio with a degree in journalism.  Once they became settled into elementary school, I found a new part-time job at the Florida Department of Health.  Ironically, my husband, Eric, had already been working in environmental health at DOH for 14 years.  I never would have predicted I’d ever end up there, too!  But after five years in the profession, the Florida Environmental Health Association (FEHA) needed an editor.  Coincidentally, I craved an outlet for writing and editing.  It was a perfect fit.

It all began with the spring 1999 issue, not long after my immediate predecessor, Jennifer Williams, retired as editor.  In the 10 years since then, I’ve worked on 38 issues.  A little math tells you the Journal’s quarterly schedule should have made it 40 issues, but twice I had to make the decision to combine issues.  The first followed a tornado’s utter destruction of the Volusia County Health Department (CHD) Print Shop in February 2007.  About a year later, CHD budget cuts finished the job and the relocated print shop closed permanently.  Working around that closure resulted in a second combined issue.

With apologies to a 1970s commercial, the phrase “You’ve come a long way, baby,” certainly applies to my role as editor.  My first three issues required involvement in every aspect of the Journal.  Admittedly, those first three issues were rather pitiful in appearance and limited in content.  The job was quite overwhelming, since it initially required everything from asking people to submit articles, down to printing and mailing it.  

My time as editor might have ended then and there, but luckily Chuck Luther, FEHA president at the time, saved my sanity.  He introduced me to Mona Quinn (then Kindy), a graphic artist at the CHD print shop in DeLand.  Mona was ready and willing to share the work and continues as our graphic design/production editor to this day

The rest is history, as Mona and I worked together long-distance via the internet as I work at DOH Central Office in Tallahassee.  Mona took over most of the production of the Journal, doing what she excels at: placing photos, ads, tables, figures and other such visual elements, along with using her talents for graphics to design each issue’s cover. In addition, she took over the mechanics of getting the Journal printed and distributed.

For several years Mona and I didn’t actually meet in person at a FEHA board meeting until we’d been a team for quite a number of issues.  It was great to finally be able to put a face with the person!  Our method of operation hasn’t changed much in the ensuing years.  I take care of what I call assembling “the guts”, or content, of the Journal and email it to Mona to finish the rest.

1999 to 2009 has covered some interesting, record-breaking times.  Over the span of this past decade, our nation has seen not only the tragedy of 9-11, but the triumph of the first African-American to be elected as president.  The economy has been in a downswing for some time now, but glimmers of hope seem to be just on the horizon.  The green movement has taught the general public to value what many of us already believed in concerning protecting the environment.  Those sentiments are largely part of why many of us work in environmental health.
On a personal note, our two daughters have grown from the preteens they were in 1999 to the young women they are today.  The eldest graduated from Mercer University with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature last May and married two weeks later.  She and her new husband have spent six months doing mission work in Uganda.  Soon they’ll be back to Tallahassee for the summer, and then pursue their PhDs somewhere as they begin their life together.

Our younger daughter is finishing her junior year at the University of North Florida. She is writing for both the school paper and the local entertainment tabloid.  In addition, she holds a part-time job and keeps a very active social life.  She hasn’t decided where she might relocate after graduation to pursue her own career in journalism, but is often contemplating her options.

Meanwhile, as for the Journal, it has seen a lot of improvements over the past 10 years.  A number of regular features were begun, including the FEHA book review by Shaun Crawford and two different series of comics.  In my early years as editor, I cajoled Wayne Wyatt to produce a special character for the Journal in the form of Enviro-Mouse.  More recently, the Journal’s readers have enjoyed the consistently good humor of Jeremy Buchanon as he focuses on the lighter side of EH topics with his FEHA Funnies.  Beginning about five years ago, the Journal has offered a simple, article based quiz in each issue to compete and submit in order to earn continuing education units for EH professionals.

As editor, my favorite development has been an increasing number of unsolicited submissions.  At one time, I was literally begging for articles, but now frequently they appear unexpectedly in my email, as if by magic!  The Journal has developed a reputation for being a high quality publication.  It serves as a model for other state EHA journals.  Such a sustained, positive reputation is the highest compliment the editor of a professional journal can earn.

That excellence could never have happened without the help of many steadfast supporters like Chuck, Shaun and Jeremy.  Several authors have become semi-regular contributors, like Andy Reich, Bill Brookman, Jack Pittman, Edith Coulter, Dean Bodager, Jonathan Day, and a host of others.  I can’t list everyone who has submitted an article or other content over the span of over 3 dozen issues.  It would quickly fill the pages of this issue.  Each one deserves a share of the credit for making the Journal a success!  

The Journal Committee comprised of Dean, Roberta Hammond, Bob Vincent, and Mona, has also been a consistent, reliable source of support and assistance.  A special thank you goes to someone who doesn’t like to be singled out for honors, yet he deserves some recognition for always being there for me.  He’ll go unnamed, but he will never go unappreciated.

As many of you know, this is my final issue as editor.  Life brings changes, and recently a career change took me out of Environmental Health and into the Division of Family Health Services, still in DOH.  The move precipitated my decision to simultaneously end my run as editor since I’d no longer be working in Environmental Health.  It just made sense.

Funny thing is that I am actually counting the days till I return to EH.  I will be there by the time this issue makes its way to your mail box.  I am going back to my former job with the hazardous waste assessment team where I’ve been my entire DOH career.

Turns out that sometimes we think we are ready for a change, only we find out that even though it is possible to change, we really don’t want to!  In my short time with the Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention, I missed too many things and became homesick for what I’d left behind, including many EH folks I’ve become close to over the years.  I also missed the work I’d been involved in; supporting the team responsible for assessing the health risk posed by hazardous waste sites in Florida.  The folks at my new position in the Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, Trina Thompson and Sarah Cawthon, were disappointed about my departure, yet amazingly understanding and supportive of my change of heart.  I can’t thank them enough for the grace they’ve shown me.  Likewise, my former boss, Randy Merchant, has been accommodating in facilitating my return.  I am also thankful for that.

Despite my return to EH, I decided it is still a good time to end my days as the Journal’s editor.  Already, new people are waiting in the wings to take over the many responsibilities that befall a journal editor.  I have great faith in their abilities and look forward to innovative improvements.  You might still see my name in future issues, but only in a byline, not on the inside cover.  My lifelong love for writing means I likely will still contribute an article once in awhile.  

This is an especially good issue for me to “ride off into the sunset.”  You’ll find a great range of articles covering everything from epidemiology to emergency preparedness, from onsite sewage to the introduction of a brand new bureau in the division.  This issue also contains a terrific selection of news from the districts, a NEHA update, the 22nd CEU quiz, and the latest installment of the FEHA Funnies.  

The next issue will bring you a new editor, with ongoing support from Mona, who plans to continue her role.  It should be a perfect segue for new leadership of the Journal.  I feel confident you can count on a continued dedication to the EH profession.  Some of us simply have environmental health ingrained in who we are and what we care about.  Thanks to everyone who had a part in making my 10 years as editor a proud and happy memory!