About a decade ago, in my PR days, I pitched stories to one David S. Johnson, then editor of Theatre Crafts International (TCI). I used to kid him that TCI was such a labor of love for him that it should have been renamed The David Johnson Project (à la Alan Parsons and his musical project). Instead, it became Entertainment Design, the title under which that publication thrived for many more years under DJ's watchful eye.

These days, David has really established quite a “project” for all of us, now celebrating the first successful year of Live Design. In fact, this is our first-anniversary issue. Make no mistake: While I've taken over the honorable task of filling this half-page with my thoughts each month, as I used to do in Lighting Dimensions, he is still very much at the helm here, and while his final “Editor's Note” last month left us all a little choked up, it is we who must say that “we're in good hands” with him.

And while David is taking on more of a publisher's role now, the fact that he comes from an editorial background puts Live Design in a great position. He knows the designers and programmers, the manufacturers, the products, the market — heck, he knows the entire industry inside and out, so we're all fortunate to have him leading the way to our second year as the top publication in the industry. David has taught me everything I know about the publishing world (go ahead and insert your customized sarcastic comment here), so I hope you won't be too disappointed to see his role change, but instead congratulate him on his new venture.

Rest easy. Our editorial content is going to remain as strong as it has ever been. We will continue to provide the best coverage available in print and online in lighting, projection, sets, and rental/staging. If there's anything you think we can do better, you know where to find me, and if you didn't already, well you do now: msandberg@livedesignonline.com. Don't be shy. We take pride in the ongoing dialog we have with our readers, and I expect that to continue.

So let's celebrate the holidays and our first anniversary, remembering 2006 as a year of change and success and ushering in 2007 with best wishes for many more years of success to come for The David Johnson Project.