Bill Zalud, Editor Emeritus of Security magazine, passed away Monday, August 8, 2016. The entire SDM and Security magazine family greatly mourns his loss.
Bill served as the Editor of both Security magazine and SDM magazine throughout his tenure, starting in 1987, and he spent more than three decades covering and shaping the security industry. In recent years, he continued to research industry trends, write insightful articles and columns, and give help and guidance as our Editor Emeritus.
“This is truly a great loss to the security industry,” said Security magazine Editor Diane Ritchey. Bill was a prolific and talented writer, one who not only informed his audience, but also offered a bit of flair and made the story more interesting and fun to read. I learned so much from him once I took the role of Editor of Security magazine, and I was honored to work with him over the past seven years. More importantly, he was a friend. I will miss his kind and gentle soul.”
It’s hard to find a veteran of the security industry who has not had an interaction with Bill in one way or another, whether through interviews for articles, meetings at tradeshows and industry events, or reading his monthly coverage of technology, trends and solutions for security professionals.
“Bill hired me when I was fresh out of graduate school and taught me so much about this industry,” said SDM Senior Editor Karyn Hodgson. “He was a truly unique and unforgettable person and his presence will be sorely missed.”
Bill was dedicated to the security industry and delighted in not only learning all he could but informing his readers in engaging and insightful ways.
“It’s difficult to describe Bill in simple terms,” said SDM Editor Laura Stepanek. “He had many lovely traits including kindness, generosity, sensibility, resourcefulness, vast knowledge and crisp wisdom. He could quickly get to the truth of a matter. Bill also could spot irony easily and tell a funny story like no one else could, amusing everyone around him. He was both a long-time colleague and a friend, and we are simply broken-hearted.”
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