One of the perks of working with the Journal of Systems & Software (JSS) is that you get to work with some of the best people in our community: our editors. While these editors are all top researchers, they take on the service work necessary to keep our community healthy. These editors shepherd over 500 papers per year through the review process, taking personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of the decision. And our editors are doing an amazing job; they are returning first decisions in 10.0 weeks on average!

For 2019, one editor stands out: Earl Barr. While he has handled an unusually high number of papers last year (28), he has done so with excellent speed — 9.8 weeks for a first decision and 20.2 weeks for a final decision — and with top quality. Authors whose papers are handled by Earl always receive thorough feedback, as he ensures that reviewers provided detailed notes in their reviews. Additionally, Earl is always actively engaged both at our annual editorial board meetings (usually held at ICSE) and in correspondence throughout the year. Simply put, he makes the Journal of Systems & Software a better venue through his involvement.

<hr><p>Earl Barr, JSS Editor of the Year 2019 was originally published in JSS Editor’s Selection on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.</p>