Chair
Lydia Schrandt
Editors Council served as my introduction into the SATW, and for that I am eternally grateful. Over the past several years, I’ve served as Secretary and Vice Chair, and have helped organize PD for two of our events. In my role on the Society-wide recruitment committee, I’ve worked to bring new, high profile editor members into our fold. I’d love to continue to give back to this part of the organization that’s given so much to me by serving as Chair for the upcoming term.
First Vice Chair
Roger Rapoport
I have served as vice-president of the SATW Editor’s Council Board for the past year. During that time we have successfully created a number of promising programs under the great leadership of Miriam Weiner that benefit SATW and the traveling public. As a senior editor at Flight Safety Information, a feature film producer, author, and contributor to the Los Angeles Times, I am eager to work with our membership on the future of commercial aviation.
As editors we have an opportunity to shape this industry central to so many lives in a positive way. Specifically I am currently completing a book with Captain Shem Malmquist called Grounded where I am learning what all of us can do as editors to help make air travel safer. Lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic and the 737 Max grounding can help editors and their readers prepare for the resumption of air travel The Editors Council is in a strong position to help improve aviation safety. As an officer I look forward to working with the SATW team to make sure we can do everything possible to rebuild the world of travel.
Second Vice Chair
Sean J O’Reilly
I came across a wonderful statement by Phil Cousineau in “The Creative Spark,” a book that Travelers’ Tales (our company) published by Michael Shapiro that sums up much of what I would like to see more of at SATW. “So I had to look up the word ‘create,’ which goes back to the old French creer, to grow, and the secondary meaning is to find order where there’s chaos. And that is part of the beauty of being someone creative. I don’t start a story or a film or a radio show with all the answers.
Those tend not go anywhere. If it boring for me, its going to be boring for you. So I pursue things that I would say I’m haunted by, provoked by. And if I can put my heart and soul into that, you as the reader or viewer, you’re going to feel some of that charge.” As an author and editor of many books over the past thirty years, I would like to bring some of my own creativity to the editorial board–not because I think I have all the answers but because I a hope to help provide some solutions to contemporary travel issues.
Melissa McGibbon
I’ve been a member of the Editor’s Council since 2011 and have been involved in some SATW projects here and there, but I would like to contribute at a higher level. I think I can provide useful input to meeting planning, especially in the areas of professional development and location scouting/logistics. I’ll be able to follow the great examples of those who have previously served as Vice-Chair and hopefully, bring some new perspective and value to the role. I think it will be fun and interesting to get more involved and I like the idea of working on SATW pursuits on a regular basis.