CRAIG RETIRES AS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Effective May 31, 2000, James L. Craig, Jr., retired as editor-in-chief of The CPA Journal. His tenure with the Journal began in May 1989 after nearly three decades in public accounting, beginning with then Lybrand Ross Brothers & Montgomery and ending with KPMG LLP via Hurdman and Cranstoun and KMG Main Hurdman.

According to Craig, his guiding principle, first as the Journal's managing editor and then as its editor-in-chief, has been that independent, objective, in-depth information can contribute to the professional success and well-being of readers.

His proudest moment came in 1998, when The CPA Journal was awarded the Anbar Golden Page Award of Excellence as the best practical accounting/finance publication in a field of 400 contenders.

Craig is perhaps best known for his interviews of leaders in the profession, in which he tries to dig beneath the surface to get at what drives the issues. His last interview as editor-in-chief was with AICPA President Barry Melancon. That interview will appear in next month's issue.

A Wonderful Team

Craig, in reflecting on his years at the Journal, is especially grateful for the major contribution of the editors and contributing editors of the departments--editors such as Douglas Carmichael, Dan Goldwasser, Milton Miller, Paul Warner, Jerry Landau, Richard Barth, Sheldon Geller, Ed Morris, Bill Bregman, Murphy Smith, and Larry Lipoff. He is also appreciative of the efforts of the many New York State Society of CPAs committee chairs that have tugged and pulled to get articles from members.

Craig notes the ongoing efforts of the entire editorial staff of the Journalin achieving the high quality and depth of content for which the Journal is known--Jack Wicks, John Burke, Michael Goldstein, Mike Rosencrantz, Anthony Sarmiento, and Tom Morris. Craig also pays tribute to the memory of Kirk Batzer and Alexander Bohtling. Batzer, the long-standing feature article editor, could tighten a sentence and turn a phrase like few accountants. Bohtling's book reviews were a reliable staple of the magazine.

Craig also expresses appreciation for the support of Publisher Louis Grumet and for the contributions of Associate Publisher Joanne Barry and her outstanding production, graphic design, and advertising departments, and specifically notes the contributions of Denise Banaag, Ed Parker, Corazon Balinong, Peter Castro, Phil Luongo, Jaime Hernandez, Francine Medaglia, Jon Nally, and Chris Reeves.

Craig also pays special tribute to his predecessor as editor-in-chief, Robert L. Gray, and the NYSSCPA directors that made significant editorial contributions to the Journal: Walter Primoff, James Woehlke, Ann Spaulding, Janice Johnson, and Anthony Mancuso.

As part of his retirement, Craig is relocating to New Market, Md., to be closer to family. He plans to remain actively involved in the profession. *

The CPA Journal is broadly recognized as an outstanding, technical-refereed publication aimed at public practitioners, management, educators, and other accounting professionals. It is edited by CPAs for CPAs. Our goal is to provide CPAs and other accounting professionals with the information and news to enable them to be successful accountants, managers, and executives in today's practice environments.

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