the last word
Publisher’s Note
S
ome of the most interesting people in the
world reside in the city of Houston. With
all due respect to native Houstonians, I’ve
found our international communities to
be the most interesting especially Houston’s diplomatic community.
Over iF Magazine’s past seven issues we’ve interviewed Consul Generals and community
leaders from nations of Asia, Africa, Central and
South America who have surprised me in their
participation of global events that I knew about,
but didn’t know their roles toward the positive
outcomes of events.
The global landscape as we know it is rapidly
changing. Long gone are the days when our
attitudes of “it’s my way or the highway” can
work anymore. Diplomacy is more important
today than ever before in our fast changing and
potentially dangerous world.
52 iF Magazine | January 2017
As I’ve mentioned before, I love the unique
position of publisher of a one-of-a-kind publication which is International Focus (iF) Magazine — where I can interview and learn more
about Houston’s international leadership. I’d do
it without pay, however, an occasional advertisement every now and then would be OK!
I’m looking forward to a new year, new people,
ideas and opportunities for iF Magazine. Meanwhile, our team of contributors, reporters, photographers, graphic designers and writers are
gearing up to make iF Magazine one of Houston’s “go to” publications for information about
its vibrant international communities
Val
Happy New Year and thank you for your readership!
Val Thompson
Publisher & CEO
[email protected]