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PUBLISHER Ginnie Roeglin
EDITOR David W. Fuller 425-313-8510 dfuller@costco.com
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Anita Thompson 425-313-6442
athompson@costco.com
MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR
MAGAZINES BOOKS
T. Foster Jones 425-313-6748 Tim Talevich 425-313-6759
Tod.Jones@costco.com
ttalevich@costco.com
ONLINE EDITOR
David Wight David. Wight@costco.com
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Lorelle Gilpin, Ottawa 613-221-2009 Lorelle.Gilpin@costco.com
Sue Knowles, London 011-44-1923-213113 sknowles@costco.co.uk
Raymond Kyunghwan Kim, Seoul 82-2-2630-2703 khkim@costcokr.com
ASSISTAN T EDITORS
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Jessica Jihye Han, Seoul
jhhan@costcokr.com
REPORTERS
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Steve Fisher Steve.Fisher@costco.com
COPY EDITOR Miriam Bulmer
CON TRIBUTORS Wally Amos, Brian Basset, Mary Hay Davis,
David Horowitz, Suze Orman, Alan M. Petrillo, Ted Reader,
Janice Rosenberg, Valerie Ryan, Pat Volchok
ART DIRECTOR Doris Winters dwinters@costco.com
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR
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ADVERTISING COORDINATORS
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COSTCO WHOLESALE
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The Costco Connection is published by Costco Wholesale. All
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FRONTend
from the publisher’s desk
Ginnie Roeglin
MAY IS A WONDERFUL month of celebrations—
high school and college graduations for many, as well as
Mother’s Day and then Memorial Day, which is shortly followed by Father’s Day in June. And let’s not forget the cascade of weddings that are typically right around the corner!
It can be difficult to figure out what to get those
special family members and friends to commemorate,
celebrate or remember during this time. Fortunately,
consumer reporter Pat Volchok helps us narrow the list
somewhat. “Buying Smart: Dads ’n’ Grads,” on page 82,
whittles the possibilities from Costco and costco.com
down to a manageable list of valuable and thoughtful
gifts in the categories of time, travel and technology.
Additional ideas for moms include the always popular flower selections available at
Costco, which include specially priced and arranged mixed bouquets and roses. Check
out costco.com for a special Mother’s Day arrangement for just $65.99, plus wedding and
centerpiece selections, filler and greens, as well as bridal accessories.
If you have a graduate on your list, don’t forget the fresh graduation cakes available
in our bakeries. Our delicious sheet cakes weigh in at a full 9 pounds and are a great value
at nearly twice the size of most grocery store cakes. We’ll even decorate it in your graduate’s school colors!
Memorial Day wraps up May and signals the start of the barbecuing and summer
travel season. Try something new on the grill this year with cedar planks, explained on
page 45. You’ll find interesting information on summer travel in our special section,
which includes introductions to the island of St. Maarten and Danube river cruises
through Costco Travel; Costco’s ticket programs, which give you discounts on theme
parks, Broadway shows and more; as well as packing tips and a list of all the items that
Costco can help you with before you set out on your travel adventures.
When you return from all your celebrations and journeys, you’ll want to bring your
film (or, in most cases, memory card) to a Costco Photo Center. To learn more about all of
the new services that have been introduced over the years, read our cover story on page 41.
Happy spring from all of us at Costco! C
Ginnie Roeglin is Senior Vice
President, E-Commerce and
Publishing, and Publisher of
The Costco Connection.
from the editor’s desk
David W. Fuller
WE’VE GOT PLENTY of uplifting articles this month,
articles that should stimulate us all to get out and enjoy
the glories of spring and the wondrous planet that we
have at our disposal.
That’s why I’m a bit concerned that I may be raining
on the parade with my thoughts on another topic we
cover this month: death (page 21). But, as you will see,
I’m really not that worried.
Our article deals with the importance of succession
planning in business. It illustrates how incorporating
death into our thinking can be of value, not just to those
we leave behind, but to the living as well. A good succession plan creates the kind of security and predictability that most people in business strive to achieve.
Generally, however, death is a topic most of us avoid, unless it is staring us in the face.
But, in my opinion, death gets a bum rap, especially in Western culture.
Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism see death as part of a continuum
or even as an illusion. Without going there, I would offer that there are perfectly good,
pragmatic, secular reasons for confronting the concept of death and incorporating it into
our lives. As with succession planning in business, the acceptance that we will not always
be here for our family, our friends and our community should alter many of the decisions
we face on a daily basis: decisions about finances, about giving to others while we are still
vigorous, about our legacies.
So much of Western culture is wrapped up in gamesmanship, in looking at life as a
playing field, complete with goalposts and rewards for those who score or complete the
assigned task. Doesn’t it seem odd, then, that we avoid even thinking about the biggest
endgame of all and what it means for how we should be playing the game? C
MAY 2008 The Costco Connection 5
David W. Fuller is Assistant
Vice President, Publishing, and
Editor of The Costco Connection.
