From the Editor

With this issue, I am stepping down as editor-in-chief. Sixteen years ago, Tom Landis convinced me that starting and editing a journal dedicated to native plant propagation and outplanting would be a good thing to do. It was needed. It would fill a niche. So, with start-up funding from the USDA Forest Service, Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetics Resources team and surrounded by a great group of visionary supporters, Native Plants Journal premiered in 2000. Fifteen years, 456 articles and book reviews, 588 contributors, and 40 wonderful cover photos later, I’m glad I did it. It’s been a fascinating journey that provided me a superb opportunity to work with an amazing cadre of folks. The list of people who have served as associate editors, contributing editors, compositors, photographers, directors of university presses, and reviewers is long; I thank all of them for their service. A few individuals deserve special mention: Tom Landis for the inspiration of NPJ and years of mentoring; Amy Grey for her design skills; Kathryn Caras at Indiana University Press for coming to the rescue; Steven E Smith for 15 years of service as an associate editor; Tara Luna for not only contributing papers but also encouraging and assisting others to contribute; Peggy Olwell and the Bureau of Land Management for unwavering support; and Candace Akins, my managing editor extraordinaire, for tireless effort and necessary organizational skills.

As has been my custom, I’d like to end the year by thanking my current associate editors: Robert D Cox, Diane L Haase, Rosemary L Pendleton, Deborah L Rogers, Daniela J Shebitz, Steven E Smith, and Sandra B Wilson. They help move submitted manuscripts through the process and seldom get the credit they deserve. I also thank these professionals for finding time to review manuscripts this past year: Scott Abella, James Altland, Taun Beddes, Andrew Bower, Kristina Connor, Michelle Cram, Craig Echt, Edward Guerrant, Greg Houseal, Katherine D Jones, Thomas A Jones, Michael Kane, Nabil Khadduri, Olga A Kildisheva, Mee-Sook Kim, Stanley Kitchen, David Kopec, Helen Kraus, Andrea Mondoni, Jim Owen, RN Reese, Rich Regan, Jason B Rushing, Forrest S Smith, Robert R Tripepi, Christina Walters, Amy Wright, and Donald Young.

NPJ is still needed. It does still fill a niche. And you’ll meet the new editor-in-chief in the next issue!

Thank you, everyone, for your support of NPJ.