A Time to Look Forward

Years ago in this column, I reminded readers that January is named after the Roman god Janus — the one looking backward and forward at the same time. The cover on this January issue seems the perfect illustration of that notion. We were determined to not focus again on the coronavirus and pandemic after some 2020 covers that did just that. But how do we — and you — move into a new year without that context? The way we work, the way our organizations function and the way our industries are coping and transforming have all changed.

Zoom meetings from my kitchen table are commonplace, as you no doubt relate to (my cat is a regular participant on them). A cover based on this now-critical communication tool seemed more than appropriate as we considered a way to look forward into 2021, and to spotlight our annual State of the States cover story. Our thanks to our smiling friends around the country whose photos help make this cover so effective.

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