Well, it's the start of a new year, and that means much promise! Many of us celebrated the coming of another year with time spent with friends and family, festive parties, "good luck" foods-perhaps there was even the welcome of a Baby New Year for one of you!

The common practice of making resolutions is beginning, along with promises for betterment and planning for the coming months.

For me personally, I look forward to a wedding, a new home, cherished journeys to new places-and another year of editorship for a great publication serving the profession of surveying. We have many things in store for the new year. You'll notice right away that this includes a fresh new look. Our generous thanks to our art director, Jennifer Hall, for her creativity and patience as we confirmed ideas and put them into place.

Along with a redesigned publication come new columnists and new viewpoints. One of these "newbies" will be an occasional perspective from the younger generation: surveying students. In November I visited with a group of students from Ferris State University here in Michigan. I found the students of the Burt & Mullett chapter of ACSM to be more than impressive in their professional demeanor, hunger for knowledge and the future, and in their support of each other. As our profession continues to age, the students from our prominent colleges and universities are hopeful of great opportunities, and a stable and successful future. But what will it take to achieve this, and what will the road be like to this end? We'll hear from tomorrow's surveyors on their experiences and views.

This year, POB will also present you with several targeted spotlights on product categories, including magnetic locators, surveying accessories, safety equipment, and GIS and field mapping products, to name a few. We hope these product focuses (or foci, if you prefer) will provide you with solid, up-to-date information on today's offerings. We also hope our selected case studies, project stories, buyers guide, show recaps and other articles of topical nature benefit you in your practice. If you desire to see something particular in our pages, please feel free to let us know; we're here for you!

We will also be quite involved in the year's trade shows and exhibitions, from construction and civil engineering, to GIS and photogrammetry and remote sensing, to laser scanning and beyond. Kimberly Jensen, our associate editor, will continue to keep you updated on shows, meetings and seminars being held across the country and extended boundaries. Be sure to stop by the POB booths to say "Hi!"

Of course, if you yearn for more industry news beyond what we hold in our monthly pages, be sure to check out the newly redesigned website and RPLS.com bulletin board, and sign up for our biweekly newsletter. There's more news to use from both venues.

This will be a year chock-full of learning, adventure and progression. Enjoy and good luck! It's the start of somethin' good!