Ever since Mary Lou Retton and Greg Louganis came flipping across my TV screen in 1984, I’ve been hooked on the Summer Olympics. So I made it my mission to watch as many events as possible during these most recent, most fabulous Olympic Games in Paris. Equestrian events at Versailles? Très chic. Beach volleyball in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower? C’est magnifique. Triathletes swimming in the Seine? Well, OK, maybe a little gross, but I was still enchantée.

Among the many sports that captured my attention was artistic swimming, where I marveled at how a single performer could seemingly levitate above the water for seconds at a time. The most intriguing camera angle, though, was the one below the water’s surface that showed the “platform” this acrobat was standing on, made up of multiple layers of submerged teammates kicking furiously while bracing each other with their arms. From the judges’ perspective, there was nothing but grace and beauty, but a whole lot of effort—and breath holding—was taking place underwater in order to create that fleeting image.

I’d say putting together this magazine month after month is a little like that—minus the nose clips and sparkly hair gel. For every eye-catching cover story, there are countless hours of brainstorming, planning, coordinating, writing, editing and dozens of other tasks that the reader never sees but which are essential to creating a beautiful finished product. But much like a gold medal must feel, for an editor there’s nothing like seeing your ideas come to life every month as the boxes of each new issue are torn open.

Actually, there is something better: It’s when the stories we publish truly resonate with the public and make a difference in the lives of the individuals we feature. Back when I was managing editor, we had planned the September 2016 issue to be focused on fashion. We had already staged a stunning style shoot and were putting the finishing touches on the cover story when the August floods hit south Louisiana. Immediately, we knew that our issue’s theme must change—despite the fact that our deadline was only days away. We quickly pivoted to a flood-focused cover story and sent out photographer Collin Richie to give our readers a visual sense of the devastation. Those pictures wound up attracting national attention, helping us to shine a spotlight on not only the people who had been impacted but also those who were giving of themselves to set things right again.

The power of the inRegister spotlight has also given a boost to many other deserving people over the years, from talented artists who found new audiences for their work to inspiring crusaders and activists named as Women with a Cause. When I took over as editor during the summer of 2020, our city and our world were in the depths of the pandemic, so we used our pages over the ensuing months to call attention to local philanthropies that were struggling and to support small businesses that were making their own major pivots. I often smiled when I saw an interesting person or organization that we had “discovered” being featured soon afterward by another local or even national media outlet. Helping to advance the missions of those devoted to serving our community has always been at the heart of inRegister.

Just like the synchronized swimmers at the very bottom of the pool know, working together to create something beautiful—something meaningful—is its own reward. Almost as good as gold.

In appreciation,

Kelli Bozeman
Managing editor, 2014-2020; Editor, 2020-2023