President’s Column

Tara Behrend

You may not recognize his face, but you know his voice. For 25 years, Larry’s Nader’s booming introduction has kicked off our conference’s opening plenary event in style. When not recording voice-overs for SIOP events, Larry has managed all things technology for SIOP for as long as we can remember: fixing an uncountable number of website bugs, MacGyvering solutions to A/V issues, and supporting SIOP volunteers in a million other ways. Now, Larry is retiring. We wish him all the best, but we can’t imagine SIOP without him.

Larry has led SIOP through a period of dramatic change. It wasn’t that long ago that the conference program was assembled by hand. We can remember the first time the conference accepted credit card payments. Every new innovation, from the Frank Landy 5K to the Consultant Locator, happened because Larry created the technology to make it happen.

Every past SIOP leader shares the same sentiments: Their job would have been less fun and probably impossible without Larry’s wisdom, kindness, and enthusiasm. Larry finds a way to say yes to every request, and we can’t remember a single instance when his good cheer failed.

The rest of the SIOP staff has been diligently preparing for this transition, and we will still put on an amazing conference. But the intro just won’t be the same. Larry, we wish you a very well-deserved happy retirement, and we thank you for your profound influence on this organization.

A pre-SIOP Larry at his radio station	With Laszlo Bock at the 2016 SIOP Conference
At his retirement party. Best wishes for your new adventures!