When Cathy Brown joined the staff of Psychiatric News in 1982, the APA’s headquarters was located at Dupont Circle in downtown Washington, D.C.; Melvin Sabshin, M.D., was medical director; and H. Keith Brodie, M.D., was APA president.
Forty-two years and 42 APA presidents later—along with five medical directors, three headquarter re-locations, and more than a thousand editions of Psychiatric News—Cathy Brown is retiring this month as executive editor.
Constancy and dependability are treasures in an age when nothing seems to stay the same for even a week, and Cathy has been a “fixed star,” reliable and resilient through many upheavals. She also happens to be an exacting editor with a cast iron work ethic, a stickler for accuracy and precision, and an expert at spotting “stories that matter” to members.
To lose someone like this is to lose something more than an editor. Over the years, Cathy has become a de facto staff historian as well as an invaluable resource to the APA administration and members. She has shepherded Psychiatric News from the days when it was a print-only publication into the digital era with additional products (Psychiatric News Alert and Psychiatric News Update, among others) that complement the print and online newspaper. Throughout, Cathy has always sought to keep the needs of members front and center. A signature accomplishment has been her introduction of member-written articles, including the “special” reports that grace each issue.
Readers may not be aware of just how labor intensive this newspaper is. Cathy has spent countless weekends editing, proofreading, and fact-checking. Her commitment has never been about meeting the minimum requirements of a performance review—it is about holding oneself accountable for the quality of the product, being accountable to the larger mission of APA, and working as a member of a larger team. She has modelled that commitment for her staff.
But Cathy, who raised two hard-working sons (one a radiologist and the other an endocrinologist), knows what is important. Newborns, aging parents, deaths of loved ones, doctor visits, health emergencies, kids’ talent shows, and soccer games—staff at Psychiatric News have been through it all and have benefited from Cathy’s support. Her message has always been—take care of what is important, we are a team, we share tasks, we help each other out.
Those of us who have had the privilege of getting to know her personally know that beneath the indomitable work ethic she is extremely social—an introvert, perhaps, with the heart of an extrovert—who loves to laugh and share stories. She can tell you just about anything you need to know about the Beatles; she is a fan of podcasts of the heady intellectual variety; and she is deeply knowledgeable about the history of Ireland, where she still has family.
I hope that APA members and other readers will recognize what we are losing—but will join all of APA staff in wishing her a happy and well-deserved retirement. ■
