I interviewed Tom Genzel once when I was a reporter at a small newspaper in Western Pennsylvania. I covered education, which meant attending lots of school board meetings. He was, at the time, the head lobbyist for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. I don’t remember the exact topic of the conversation (it was probably about state funding formulas). However, I do recall that he was articulate, thoughtful, and well-informed.

If you are a regular reader of ASBJ, you have read Tom’s columns, which have been published in each issue for nearly eight years. In his columns, he continues to exude those qualities. He has written every one of them himself, and each arrives polished and print-ready.

In this issue, we publish the last of his columns as NSBA’s executive director. As ASBJ’s publisher, Tom has been a steadfast supporter of the magazine. He took over as the executive director when the association was at a crossroads. Thanks to his leadership, the association is now strong and stable.

During these past two months, staff has been working remotely to continue to deliver services, including this magazine. Tom’s guidance has been pivotal in keeping us focused during this crisis.

I don’t begrudge him well-deserved time to travel and be with his family. But I will miss him—and his polished columns.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Until the next issue. . .