From the editor: People of vision

This year we decided to do something a little different with our annual Progress publication.

Instead of highlighting the projects going on in Cape Girardeau -- and there are many of them -- we decided to spotlight some of the people who are shaping our communities.

Being that this is 2012, we decided to highlight 12 people who have a distinct vision for the region's well-being, for their respective professional field or a combination of both.

The 12 people we chose for this publication were intended to reflect many of the different aspects of our community, from education to religion, from marketing to media. This is not a lineup, necessarily, of the most influential people in town, though some of these visionaries certainly are key movers and shakers. The goal was to find people who have taken a leadership role in shaping our community, people who have taken risks, have brought new ideas to the table. Among the 12, you'll find those on all different points on the innovation spectrum, those who have for years and years carried out their ideas and others who are just embarking on their vision. We feel you'll learn a little something from each of them.

In the advertising content of this publication, we gave businesses the opportunity to share their vision and plans with us as well. We asked questions relating to vision and "big picture" ideas. Our advertisers had some very interesting things to say about where their businesses are headed.

Thank you for taking the time to read our visionary version of our annual Progress edition. We hope you'll find it compelling and inspiring. Here's to all of our many visionaries in the community and all of the work that makes it happen.

-- Bob Miller