In the late 1990s, as I sat down at a desk in the Business Department of the Long Beach Press-Telegram as a new reporter, I was immediately asked which beat I wanted to cover: aerospace or the ports.
Despite a fascination with planes and aviation since a child, I chose the ports. I figured that it would be a great learning experience on something I knew nothing about.
Flash forward more than a dozen years, and I can say with some certainty that I still don't know enough about the maritime industry. But good fortune and hard work have allowed me to spend these years covering an industry that I have come to love – mainly because there is something new to learn just about every day.
During this time, thanks to many of you, I have managed to offer news on this industry that I sincerely hope has been helpful and informative.
And yet, just like that first day as a reporter when I chose to hitch my career to the maritime industry, I have now decided to move into another field that I am sure will be another great learning experience.
So, the journalism part of my career comes to an end as yet another door opens.
Just over two years ago, we started the PMM Online newsletter with the idea of providing each of you with West Coast maritime news that was both substantive and also offered important background and context. I think we succeeded beyond our expectations.
And that success will continue. Veteran maritime reporter Mark Nero will take the helm of PMM Online starting next week. Mark is a great reporter, a good friend, and best of all, a member of that every shrinking clan of reporters who genuinely love covering the maritime industry.
For my part, I will look at my time with the PMM family as a tremendous learning experience – and an opportunity that has afforded me the chance to work with some of the best and the brightest people around.
And while my path may no longer go in the same direction as PMM’s, I am proud to say we all travelled together for a while. I can only hope that somewhere in the distance, our paths may intersect again.
Thank you to everyone, both in the industry and at PMM. It was quite a run.
