- Bearing Drift - https://bearingdrift.com -

Happy New Year 2020: Bearing Drift’s Resolution

Hello, 2020! Goodbye, 2019.

It’s that time of year when it’s out with the old and in with the new. Here at Bearing Drift, it’s a time to look back at the past year, thank those who have built our foundation, offer extra thanks to our writers and background support, express gratitude for our readers, and start out with a clean slate in 2020.

Colleagues we lost

Our year took a sad turn when, on November 17, we unexpectedly lost our colleague [1] Rick Sincere. His passing has been felt by friends [2] around the country and, because of their dedication, Rick’s works consisting of writings, articles, book and movie reviews, podcasts, and more will be permanently archived at the University of Virginia [3].

Content partner Mike Thompson, who was president of the Thomas Jefferson Institute of Public Policy, also passed away [4] in September after battling leukemia [5]. His generosity allowed us to share his articles about issues that concerned the citizens of the Commonwealth.

Here comes 2020

Bearing Drift turns 16 this year as we continue to provide the excellent work of our group of writers and contributors who share their opinions, observations, and knowledge about the political world around us. With our concentration primarily on Virginia, we sometimes branch out to national and world politics when they affect us here in the Commonwealth.

Our New Year’s resolution for 2020 is to continue to provide quality articles to our readers. We will strive to present new content on a regular basis, and we hope our readers will continue to support us and add their voices to the discussion.

Our writers and background support

As the new year begins, we want to take a moment to recognize those who make Bearing Drift the remarkable organization that it is [6] and their contributions. They are the heart of what we do.

This year we brought on new writers who have contributed their tremendous talent and brought in more readers:

Kristine Nohe brings a sassy wit and deep-rooted thoughts on current events and the political world we find ourselves navigating. Her style is cutting edge and fresh.

Andrea Epps has a determination about politics that drives her desire to find truth and expose it in today’s volatile political world. Her take on the 2019 HOD-97 primary race provided badly needed local coverage.

Will Shewmake, a published author, brings a distinguished and measured knowledge to his writing, cultivated from years of politics and experience in the legal field.

John Hardy Willson provides a refreshingly blunt, honest assessment of Virginia politics that sometimes steps on GOP toes.

Michael Allers Jr. is our newest contributor who has quickly gathered fans of his millennial-style writing and sharp wit that are new to the Virginia political scene.

Then there’s our writers and behind-the-scenes supporters who are our foundation. They all have been the wind beneath the wings of Bearing Drift, sharing their talents, political experiences, and personalities as we work together on a daily basis:

Melissa Kenney is our advertising director and managing editor who sells ads, shares her expertise, and also digs into the site to troubleshoot technical issues that may arise.

Jason Kenney is our webmaster. For an organization like ours, that is just about the most important person in the operation. He troubleshoots issues and is practically on call at all hours of the day and night.

Susan Sili is our resident “hostess with the mostest” who covers the General Assembly during session, shares entertaining tips, and writes historical pieces about Virginia while covering her home base in Caroline County.

Brian Schoeneman is our editor-in-chief emeritus and occasional contributor who is always there to provide support and feedback. His wealth of experience includes political volunteer and former candidate for public office.

Stephen Spiker, who is experienced in polls, policy, and campaigns, provides solidly-researched pieces and crunches the political numbers while actively involved with local politics.

Norm Leahy, who served as BD editor-in-chief in the past, writes for Real Clear Investigations and provides a weekly column at the Washington Post that he graciously shares with us.

D.J. McGuire, a former long-time contributor, returned in 2018 after a two-year absence. His experience is in foreign affairs and financial issues as well as Virginia politics.

Matt Hall is our goodwill ambassador, writing articles as well as conducting podcast interviews of candidates and elected officials.

M.D. Russ brings years of experience with a military and business background, weighing in on a variety of issues.

Matt Walton offers perspective from the Richmond area, utilizing his experience from running for public office and working campaigns.

-Rollin Reisinger has an innate knowledge of politics that is hard to match. A campaign veteran, he is an asset no matter what he does.

-Steven Brodie Tucker’s thoughtful and fact-filled writing has captured an audience with readers.

Rob Schilling, our content partner who writes about topical issues, has his own radio show and is a former Charlottesville councilman.

Cole Trower has served in grassroots leadership and worked numerous campaigns.

Andrew Hull is on hiatus while attending law school.

Lynn R. Mitchell: And then there’s me — editor-in-chief, photo chaser, and multi-tasker.

Thank you to all. Here’s expecting even greater things for Bearing Drift in the coming year so watch to see where we go in 2020.

From all of us to all of you … Happy New Year!