Lora Lee has over 25 years of experience in publishing. She purchased POND Trade in 2013 and has been thrilled with her new job ever since. As publisher, she is tasked with a few “minor responsibilities” that include organizing the content schedule, recruiting writers, acquiring articles, selling ads and designing the magazine. In her PPT (Pre-POND Trade) life, Lora Lee worked as an art director, marketing manager and art department supervisor for multiple trade magazines. She spends many hours in her garden and has been featured on garden walks. There is now a pond amidst the flowers. You never knew how much you would enjoy a pond until you have one. Now she can’t imagine life without one. Lora Lee is married and has one son. She lives in the Chicagoland area and her only regret is not being able to enjoy her garden and pond year round!
May / June POND Trade

May / June 2023

By Lora Lee Gelles / April 28, 2023 / 0 Comments

Sn­­akes on a Plane? No — snakes on the cover of the May / June POND Trade issue! Full disclosure: I am deathly afraid of “my nemesis” (yes, snakes), but seeing that you can find them in yards on every continent except for Antarctica, it’s a really important topic to get across to our readers. […]

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2023 Water Garden Expo Recap

2023 Water Garden Expo Recap

By Lora Lee Gelles / April 28, 2023 / 0 Comments

This year’s annual Water Garden Expo sponsored by Pondliner was held in Shawnee, Oklahoma, from March 1-3, 2023. It was a bit different this year, for the Expo was held in the conference rooms at the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort, which is where our accommodations were. There was a really good turnout this year, […]

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March / April 2023 POND Trade magazine

March / April 2023

By Lora Lee Gelles / March 2, 2023 / 0 Comments

Phew! Another year, another contest put to bed. Let me tell you, this was a BIG year. We had a record number of entries — almost 90! Since I get to see every single entry (lucky me!) I had a few observations. First off, you guys are really talented, but I think you know that. […]

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January / February 2023 POND Trade magazine

January/February 2023

By Lora Lee Gelles / December 29, 2022 / 0 Comments

Out with the old, and in with the new! Happy New Year to you all, and best wishes for a great new year. So, what’s on tap (no pun intended) for 2023? Are you promoting certain types of water features? Have you developed a niche? Are you planning on building some recreational ponds? What about […]

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biomass harvest with vehicle

Lotus Biomass Harvest in South Alabama

By Lora Lee Gelles / December 27, 2022 / 1 Comment

It’s so fun to have life experiences! For me, flying down to Alabama to visit Laura Bancroft of Ten Mile Creek Nursery was one of them. Earlier in 2022, Laura invited me to come out during what I thought was the harvest of lotus — but this was on a whole other level! Laura went […]

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November / December 2022 POND Trade

November / December 2022

By Lora Lee Gelles / October 27, 2022 / 0 Comments

If you live in a cooler climate like I do (the U.S. Midwest), perhaps you are experiencing a slowdown this time of year. It might be time to sit back and take a long-deserved break. You’ve worked hard all season, and it’s time to take it down a notch. Now is also a good time […]

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POND Trade introduces new digital editor

By Lora Lee Gelles / September 12, 2022 / 0 Comments

POND Trade is pleased to introduce our new digital editor, Joanne Costin. She will be responsible for updating our online content, overseeing social media and ensuring the marketing success of our online advertisers. Joanne is an award-winning journalist, content writer and data journalist for leading publications in the construction, foodservice, meat processing and unmanned systems […]

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September/October Pond Trade

September / October 2022

By Lora Lee Gelles / August 31, 2022 / 0 Comments

You never know who you’re going to meet when you’re traveling. It’s so fun to meet people at various pond events and connect with them. I’ve chatted with people at the Water Garden Expo, Pondemonium, Atlantic-OASE conferences, and regional koi shows around the country, and they often share a topic with me that they would […]

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July / August 2022 Issue

By Lora Lee Gelles / June 30, 2022 / 0 Comments

Family with a capital F! (Hopefully you noticed our cover and didn’t immediately open the issue to read my column first.) What a great experience John Magyar and his son Elijah had working together to create a memorial pond and waterfall for John’s mother. What a priceless time to bond with your son and also […]

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2021 Water Artisans of the Year Show Us Their Trophies

By Lora Lee Gelles / June 28, 2022 / 0 Comments

“Being recognized by our peers in this industry is one of the best feelings in the world. I am so proud of my entire team for these achievements.” “We are honored to receive this recognition from this great pond community we love being a part of. Don’t stop pushing your limits, trying new products and […]

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