Rob Bates is news director of JCK. He has won numerous editorial awards, including two prestigious Neal Awards for his blog in 2007 and 2011, five Eddies from Folio magazine, and the American Gem Society’s Triple Zero Award for industry service. He has been interviewed by CNN, NPR, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and numerous other places. He can be reached at rbates – at – jckonline.com.