Change is afoot at top of the masthead

Without pussyfooting around, it must be said that things have changed here at Security Systems News. For one, as should be obvious to you loyal readers, the picture in the middle of this editorial now features me, L. Samuel Pfeifle, the new editor of Security Systems News. No, Chelsie Woods has not grown a beard. Rather, she has moved into a part-time position as our senior editor (see accompanying editorial) and she'll be handling all of our source books and serving as a vast reservoir of institutional knowledge as we move forward. It's clear that the security industry has been very taken with Chelsie, and that she's done some great work over her long tenure at SSN. I can only hope to uphold her high standards for the paper and work to bring a fresh perspective to an industry that is clearly thriving with innovation and growth. As for my background--well, to be frank, the learning curve looks steep as I dive into the world of security. I've spent the past five years editing a weekly newspaper here in my home state of Maine, covering everything from state politics to the local music scene, so I know how to work a beat, but let's just say I haven't used a figure like $65.5 million very often (see our front-page story on Devcon acquiring Guardian International--the sale price represents 1 percent of the entire Maine state yearly budget). Of course, that's why I was so excited to take on this opportunity. Every good journalist is looking for a bigger, more challenging beat to cover, and with SSN I know I've found one. I very much look forward to developing a relationship with the industry, my readers, and to providing you with the most thought-provoking, news-breaking newspaper in the market. I know that Martha Entwistle, our managing editor, and Erin Zwirn, our associate editor, are committed to the same goals. But I'm not the only new face at the publication. Also pictured here is our new group publisher, Tom Curry, who will also work with our sister publication Security Director News and comes to us with more than 18 years in publishing and an extensive background in technology publications focused on the electronics market. As all of you well know, technology is at the heart of the future of the security industry, and I know that Tom joins me in an excitement about and passion for the new and different, as well as an appreciation for subtle design and the history of innovation. Further, Tom was most recently at American Lawyer Media, so he knows well the complexities of today's legal system and the vast expanse that is government regulation. He, too, looks forward to interacting and understanding this tight-knit security community, and the both of us are always available to anyone who'd like to discuss the industry or our paper.