Member Testimonials in Honor of SSP's 30th Anniversary

Kent Anderson, Executive Director, International Business and Product Development, The New England Journal of Medicine

Over the years, what has struck me about SSP and kept it valuable is the multidisciplinary nature of the membership and the resulting organization. Also, the focus on recruiting and cultivating younger members has set SSP apart. Finally, the quality of the people involved in SSP has always been great and somehow has gotten even better as the years have passed.

I think there are challenges ahead, but SSP embraces challenges, a practice that positions the organization well for the future.

Raymond Fastiggi, Finance Director, Rochester University Press and SSP President-Elect

To say that the Society for Scholarly Publishing is the most influential organization in my professional career would be an understatement. Since joining SSP at its inception in 1978, I have been privileged to get to know some of the true giants in our industry.

I attended the first meeting in June 1979 in Boston, not far from where our recent 30th Anniversary Meeting was held. (I had only been in publishing for about 3 years at that point, and this was only the second meeting of this type that I had attended, the first being the 3rd ASJ Conference in Reston in May 1977.) I was terrified, being probably one of the youngest and least experienced people there. However, much to my surprise, some of the older members were outgoing and extremely friendly, and I soon realized that I belonged. Folks such as Robert Day, Fred Spilhaus, Allan Wittman, and Ben Russak were some of those names that I remember from the early days.

I have since attended 21 more SP Annual Meetings, and it would be safe to say that I have learned something new at each of them. Our meetings bring together a diverse group of individuals who are all keen on learning from each other. I am proud to be an SSP member and look forward to many more successful meetings in the future.

Audrey D. Melkin, Director of Business Development, Atypon Systems, Inc.

I've been involved with SSP for over 20 years, and it's been a wonderful relationship! I've met so many great people who've become friends; I've learned so much about the industry I love through interacting at lively conferences and seminars with its practitioners. SSP's Annual Meeting is always one I recommend to "newbies" to attend and the place to network.