When I joined TMA Global as editor of the Journal of Corporate Renewal, Peter Tourtellot was president, and the horror of 9/11 was still a month away. Today, most of my colleagues at TMA Global never had the pleasure of meeting Peter, a passionate advocate for TMA and the Certified Turnaround Professional program who passed away in 2016, and many of them were probably too young on September 11, 2001, to have a clear recollection of that terrible day.
I had no idea when I accepted the position that TMA would become my professional home for nearly 22 years or that my tenure with the organization would span those of an executive director, two CEOs, and dozens of staff members. Somehow the years added up while I was focused on editing articles and publishing issue after issue of the magazine. It all has led to this, which is my final issue as editor of the Journal of Corporate Renewal as I prepare to retire on June 15.
Knowing that TMA is in a great place, with a talented staff, strong leadership, and the many dedicated volunteers who offer their time and talent to make TMA such an attractive gathering spot for its diverse membership, makes the decision to leave at this point a bit easier. The future of the organization is bright, both in North America and overseas.
During my time with TMA, I’ve had the good fortune to work with many outstanding individuals, both on the staff and among our members around the globe. I’m grateful for that, and I will miss those interactions. As editor of the Journal, I’m often credited for the magazine’s success. But it’s the authors who share their expertise in the pages of the JCR and the guest editors who invite them to participate who truly deserve the credit. They are the subject matter experts who provide insightful commentary on timely topics in the turnaround and restructuring industry, making the magazine an important member benefit. Indeed, without them, there would be no Journal of Corporate Renewal.
The Journal was first published as a magazine in April 1998. Peter Tourtellot was the driving force behind converting the printed newsletter the Journal had been to a magazine format. He was listed as the managing editor for the first few issues of the magazine. TMA hired an editor that fall who served in that role for nearly three years, after which I came on board.
Though it is perhaps cliché to say, I have mixed emotions about moving on to the next chapter of my life. I started mowing lawns when I was in sixth grade and for the most part have been employed in some capacity ever since. As a considered when I might retire, particularly over the past few years, friends who had already taken the plunge told me that I would know when the time was right. It’s hard to imagine not punching that figurative time clock anymore. However, those same friends assure me that the transition was easier than they had imagined and that I would likely find it be the same.
While I have enjoyed editing the Journal of Corporate Renewal, I know the time is right for me to take my leave, just as my friends suggested I would. I’ll depart with many fond memories of my time here, and as I do, I wish my coworkers and TMA members everywhere all the best going forward.
