DirectionsMag’s story began twenty years ago with Scott and Jane Elliott. Scott, who owned Wessex at the time, enjoyed writing and providing tools for the GIS community. He noticed the popularity of news and articles on their website. Therefore, after they sold Wessex, creating a GIS publication was an easy transition. Jane recalls, “I was all over the idea of online only because it was a fast way to cover news.” Sadly, Scott passed away in 2001, leaving us to continue his legacy.
Jane shared that her greatest challenge in this community is maintaining relevancy. She said, “When technology is on a fast track, you have to dance even faster to stay in the game. At one time, our podcasts were very timely and popular, but then videos arrived! Now, we are back to podcasts. One thing we do know is that our readers like options…and we don’t mind providing them.”
Jeff Koncz, the IT director, shared, “From the beginning in 1998, our publisher has always had a commitment to serve the geospatial industry with unique information and relevant news. The industry has changed through the years, but we’ve had a willingness to adapt and change our focus multiple times.”
Jane has wonderful things to say about her “very gifted, loyal, and hardworking” team. Koncz has been with DirectionsMag from the beginning. Jane speaks highly of his dedication to keeping DirectionsMag current in design and practice, visible in the web design and emails. He cites his greatest challenge as “recognizing and responding to readers’ needs and expectations of what an online publication should be, plus, staying relevant in a rapidly expanding and diversifying field.” He also shared his thoughts about the future. “Our ongoing challenge will be finding new revenue streams outside of the traditional banner ad while still providing our readers with a great online experience.”
Barbaree Duke, now the managing editor, started as an occasional webinar production assistant in 2011. Jane says, “Her professionalism is endearing, and I love that she thinks of the readers and what the geospatial community wants first.” When asked what she likes most about Directions, Barbaree shared, “I love that everyone pulls together for a common goal… making a difference. We know what a gift it is to continue being part of the fabric of the geospatial community. We cherish our readers.” Lynette Quaglia, webinar production assistant, has a “willingness to pitch in at any level and makes everything work better.” Rebeckah Flowers, copy editor, “brings out of the box ideas to her editing talents that keep us fresh.”
Jane is proud of her “winner team” for sure. Know that the Directions team is working diligently to bring you relevant news, articles, and webinars to help you in your geospatial journey into the next 20 years.
Stay connected with us to learn what’s next!
A blast from the past- a view of Directionsmag in 1998
A view of Directionsmag in 2008
Directionsmag in 2018