So long and thanks for all the headlines (Editorial)

<i>Canadian HR Reporter</i>'s publisher George Pearson retires

The end of this year heralds another ending for Canadian HR Reporter. After more than a decade with this publication, publisher and editor George Pearson is retiring.

George became managing editor in 1994, after answering a newspaper classified ad shortly upon arriving from the United States. George, born in Minnesota, was living in Chicago when he met Canadian journalist Jennifer Lewington at a Washington, D.C., conference. He decided the wisest course of action was to marry her, move to Toronto and become a Canadian citizen.

As a result, human resources professionals got someone dedicated to covering their profession and offering articles and information to help them do their jobs.

In 1996 he was made publisher and editor. George came on the scene at Canadian HR Reporter at time when the HR profession was growing and aspiring to a greater role in business — a transition that is still occurring.

Covering a maturing profession growing in stature coincided with growing the publication itself. When George arrived, Canadian HR Reporter had a staff of four. In 2007 the Canadian HR Reporter group will have more than a dozen staff, and it’s still growing.

His tenure saw the publication move successfully into the world of online publishing. The website www.hrreporter.com was launched in 2000 and today more than 55,000 visitors come to the site every month.

When I joined Canadian HR Reporter as managing editor in 1998, I was excited to be a part of a strong publication with a bright future. I was also pleased to find a publication, and publisher, who valued ethical journalism and the craft of storytelling. Quality was always paramount, and resting on laurels was not an option. And when it came to workforce management there was George’s steadfast commitment to the maintenance of a respectful workplace and positive work environment.

He created a good place for journalists to practise their craft. The many reporters and editors who have written for Canadian HR Reporter over the last dozen years are better journalists because of George, myself included.

After announcing his plans to retire at the beginning of this year, George moved from publisher of Canadian HR Reporter to a new position revitalizing and reorganizing Carswellbusiness’ newsletters group. With his retirement the publications Canadian Payroll Manager, Canadian Employer, Compensation and Benefits Update and labour relations newsletter CLV Reports join the Canadian HR Reporter group, which also includes Canadian Employment Law Today and Administrative Assistants’ Update.

George’s retirement from Thomson Carswell doesn’t mean an end to his development of aspiring journalists. If you need anything, from guidance with an ethical dilemma to help conjugating a verb, you can find George teaching journalism at Humber College in Toronto.

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