An editor's commencement: Heritage, legacy, and destiny

• Published date: 01 November 2023
• Author: Jeremy L. Hall
• Date: 01 November 2023
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13757

EDITORIAL

An editor’s commencement: Heritage, legacy, and destiny

Jeremy L. Hall

School of Public Administration, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA

Correspondence

Jeremy L. Hall, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.

Email: jeremy.hall@ucf.edu

MY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

At the end of any long and arduous endeavor, it is

customary to take stock—to evaluate. It is also common

to begin planning next steps. This is particularly true of

our educational exploits; we see commencement as the

end, but it is, in fact, the beginning. This issue is my last

as Editor-in-Chief of Public Administration Review (PAR),

and what a learning experience it has been. The moment

is bittersweet; PAR has become a significant part of my

life over the past 6 years, so much so that it will be diffi-

cult to begin each day without giving thought to how

much of my attention needs to be devoted to PAR-related

tasks. My family will welcome the restoration of my atten-

tion to their more pressing needs. Nonetheless, this has

been the ultimate service experience of my professional

career, and though laborious, it has been a labor of love. I

will look back on this time fondly, and with deepest grati-

tude for all of the experiences it has afforded me and the

connections it has fostered around the globe.

The job of PAR editor, I can now see, is essential; so

many people and organizations around the world depend

on PAR. The American Society for Public Administration

(ASPA), of course, sees PAR as a major component of its

reputation. Authors often wait years to see an article

accepted in PAR, and when they do, it is cause for cele-

bration. (I remember the shock and awe I once felt upon

receiving that first revise and resubmit letter from Larry

Terry.) Being invited to review for PAR is a scholar’sfirst

hint that they have achieved professional significance.

Universities chalk up their faculty success with articles

published, and in our field, PAR articles always have a

star next to them on such lists. We hope, of course, that

the organizations we write about—governments at all

levels, nonprofit organizations, formal networks, and

informal partnerships—might take lessons from our

ink-stained pages (Hall & Battaglio, 2019). PAR matters

to the millions of people who download our content

each year—those who seek to learn from the findings

we publish. I stand in awe of the significance of this

venerable institution.

I have given a great deal of thought to how I might

end this chapter in my career—on what message I might

choose to sign off for the last time as your editor. I arrived

at a balance between retrospective on what we have

accomplished over these 6 years and a prospective

glance at what I think our discipline will need to confront

to remain relevant in the years to come. Of course, you’re

also due a bit of introspection along the way. Let me

begin there, with the sentimental portion of my task.

WORDS OF GRATITUDE

None of PAR’s successes are possible without a team of

dedicated professionals devoted to their tasks. I have

been so very fortunate to work with the best in the busi-

ness as members of my core editorial team. Some have

come and gone as other obligations vied for their time,

but a few have been with me from the start. They bear

mentioning here. Among my editors, Sanjay Pandey,

Lötte Andersen, Nicola Bellé, Paola Cantarelli, and Eddie

French have been with me from the beginning, and their

time and talent has been invaluable. Staci Zavattaro,

Domonic Bearfield, and Bert George served in the editor

role for shorter periods, but each made a mark on the

journal through their service. Steve Condrey and Tonya

Thornton have admirably carried the torch for our View-

point feature. Galia Cohen has served faithfully as book

review editor, and I know my bi-monthly emails to her

will not be missed. A dozen or so associate editors have

served as my sounding board on issues from across the

discipline and around the world.

And then, there are the unsung heroes—my editorial

assistants and managing editors. Some began in this role

and were promoted out to positions more suitable to

their expertise and talents. David Kanaan facilitated our

transition from the previous editorial team; Jenna Tyler

has kept a close watch on manuscripts as they roll in each

day. Daniel Chen has seen that the review process runs

smoothly. Brandy Allen has given each article its final

proofing before it goes live on the website. For as much

Received: 3 October 2023

DOI: 10.1111/puar.13757

Public Admin Rev. 2023;83:1441–1446. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/puar © 2023 American Society for Public Administration. 1441