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[Published originally in the September 2002 edition of Computing Research News, Vol. 14/No. 4, p. 3.]

Departing CRA Executive Director, Bill Aspray, was honored by board members and attendees at the recent CRA Conference at Snowbird 2002. Aspray, who joined CRA in 1996, has joined the faculty of the School of Informatics at the University of Indiana in Bloomington.

Mary Lou Soffa, former vice chair, current board member, and co-chair of CRA-W, thanked him for his unqualified support and promotion of CRA-W's activities, and presented him with a pen in an engraved silver box.

In addition, Bill received several gifts, both humorous and handsome, suitable for a historian of computing. These included the early L.E.A.D. 2.5 Word Processor (a series of pencils) presented by board member and former board chair, Dave Patterson, and a historical computing artifact (an abacus mounted on an engraved plaque) presented by board member and former board chair, Ed Lazowska. In addition, Jim Foley, current board chair, presented a plaque with a mounted core memory board and the CRA logo to Bill "for a job well done."

CRA made great strides during the time Aspray served as Executive Director. Its academic members grew from 147 to 212 and lab/center members from 17 to 25. CRA programs increased from 8 to 25, and staff increased from 5 to 8 people. The association's financial situation has greatly improved with careful monitoring during his tenure.

Bill Aspray leaves CRA with an impressive record of achievement, as well as the gratitude and best wishes of the board, members, staff, and the larger computing community.