New Titles, New Roles

The editorial staff of Modern Machine Shop has always worked hard to be a cohesive and effective team. Like all good teams, individual members have had different functions but a common goal: to build and support a brand that promotes new technology in manufacturing. And as it is with all good teams, it is necessary to adjust and reposition those functions to meet changing circumstances. This is one of those times for us to step up, so to speak.

That’s exactly what we have done, as indicated by some changes in the titles on the staff page of this magazine, which continues to be the anchor of Modern Machine Shop’s print and online
entities. Here are the details:

My new title is Editorial Director. Although I will continue to write and prepare my usual lineup of editorial contributions such as this column, Deciding Factors, feature articles, regular blog posts and other items for print and online, I will concentrate on developing editorial talent to sustain our commitment to excellence in technical journalism.

Pete Zelinski’s new title is Editor-in-Chief, the title I am passing on. Pete, a 19-year veteran of the MMS staff, will take on a more active role as the “face” of the magazine to the metalworking industry. He has already been representing the MMS brand at notable events and appearances. However, he will continue to write stellar pieces for this magazine and for Additive Manufacturing, of which he has been editor-in-chief since its debut. Pete will also keep the MMS brand at the forefront of reaching and serving our audience in a world in which print, digital and social media are all now vital to that mission.

Working closely with Pete and me continues to be Derek Korn, who has been with MMS for almost 13 years. His new title is Executive Editor. In addition to producing insightful articles about the application of technology by leading machine shops, Derek will now focus more intently on the operation of the MMS brand internally. He will coordinate and oversee the work of other editors on staff while ensuring the magazine covers the subject matter that will enable shops to become more efficient and effective. Derek’s essential efforts to grow and enhance our Top Shops benchmarking program will also keep him engaged with the metalworking community, especially with the launch of the Top Shops Conference in 2017.

Finally, Emily Probst is now Managing Editor, the title we give to the person chiefly responsible for the smooth and timely production of print and online content. She is arguably overdue for this title, as she has been fulfilling this role for some time. Emily also ably manages our blog and newsletters, and keeps MMS active in Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media channels.

Of course, our entire editorial staff is committed to growing and evolving, whether or not individual titles change. We never stop finding better ways to work together. This often involves drawing on the skills and resources of many other departments in the company. Working as a team is our instinctive mode, regardless of who pulls together to tackle the task at the moment.

But no moment goes by that I’m not extremely proud to be part of this team.