Once again we were forced to realize that we are living on a shaky planet. I have taken the liberty to print the letter by Pedro Ray, the IEEE President and CEO below. And while we are talking about volunteering, in the motto think global, act local, some of you might want to consider following up on David K. Horn’s invitation to become a volunteer. In this issue I introduce some chairs and other members of our local NY Section Chapters and Affinity Groups. You can read about them starting on page 6. I asked the chairs to provide this information, so that you may find a connection to your own interests. Volunteering can be very rewarding if you work with people who can teach you new skills, or who work in a field that is of interest to you. I hope it will help you make a choice.
As you can surmise from the notice for an editor on page 14, I am relinquishing my role as Managing Editor. I am literally moving to greener pastures—I have been able to turn one of my volunteer efforts into a fulltime project and I will be working on the Norton Basin Migratory Bird Sanctuary along Jamaica Bay, and I will not be able to give the IEEE NY Monitor the attention it deserves. I want to thank all the people who have supported me over the years; whether it was by submitting articles or photographs, or just by giving me encouragement. With a special thank you to Camille A. Alma who has actively participated with editing and sound advice. Thank you for reading the IEEE NY Monitor.■
Marlen K. Waaijer