01/17/2026
And it's Friday once again ๐
For this week's flashback favorite stories of 2025, Senior Editor Richard Melendez has two that come to mind.
"The first is 'Reaching New Heights' from the June 2025 issue of ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐ชสป๐ช," he shares. "This marked the addition of the regular 'Shared Spaces' feature to the magazineโs line up and I felt fortunate and honored to be able to introduce something new to the publicationโs identity. Associate Editor Vanessa Hathaway understood the mission and ran with it. The breathtaking photos just added to the elation I felt seeing this idea become reality."
The second is not a single story, but a whole issue. One of our most anticipated issues, in fact.
"The second is the July 2025 issue of ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐บ ๐๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐ชสป๐ช. Yes, the entire issue," he continues. "It was our extra-large annual issue acknowledging the winners of the Top 25 Contractors Awards. I was still incredibly new to the senior editor position and this issue was a true trial by fire. We โ the editorial team, our freelance writers and our designers โ nailed it, though. The experience aged me 10 years, but it prepared me for pretty much any challenge that came since."
Click here to read "Reaching New Heights" from the June 2025 issue of ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐ชสป๐ช ๐
https://online.flippingbook.com/view/158743637/26/
Click here to read the July 2025 issue of ๐๐ถ๐ช๐ญ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐บ ๐๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐ชสป๐ช ๐
https://online.flippingbook.com/view/740099277/