It was a real privilege and honor to serve the NAAIC as President
during 1996-98. During the past two years, I had the opportunities
to work with the executive committee in planning the 36th Conference
and with the different committees responsible for conducting the
activities of the NAAIC. It takes a tremendous amount of work
and effort to plan and organize a meeting such as this and it
is a collective effort.
First, I especially would like to thank Denis Cash and all the
membrers of the local arrangement committee for organizing a great
meeting. I am also grateful to Gary Bauchan, our executive secretary,
and Mike Peterson who stepped in as vice-president after Tim Woodward's
resignation for taking charge of the organization of the scientific
program. They successfully organized an excellent program including
two workshops and two symposia.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to all the chairpersons of the various committees and the members of the committees. Without your considerable efforts many of the activities of the NAAIC would not exist. I sincerely appreciate your contribution which is necessary to maintain our organization healthy and active.
During the past two years, specific projects were identified and
acted upon. As you all well know, thanks to Dan Skinner, the NAAIC
is now on the Web. This is a major accomplishment and Dan must
be recognized and commended for his extra efforts and for a job
well done. Our site on the Internet will certainly facilitate
communications and contribute to change our ways of doing things
in the future.
I would like to thank the members of the executive committee,
Gary Bauchan, executive secretary; Tim Woodward and Mike Peterson,
vice-president; Joe Bouton, secretary; and Marc McCaslin, past
president for their advise and support, and for making my job
easy. I would also like to thank all the participants and especially
those who volunteered to make oral or poster presentations. Your
contribution is important to the organization.
Finally, I am confident that under the leadership of Mike Peterson assuming the presidency, the NAAIC is in good hands and we all can look forward to the next meeting, the first one of the next century.