Abstract
This issue of JALA is special for several reasons. For me, it marks the end of my year as ALA president. For Mark Russo, it marks the end of four years as JALA executive editor.
I'm sure Mark would agree that the time and energy we each have invested in ALA over the years has been personally and professionally rewarding. As a colleague, I admire and am amazed by the new heights to which Mark has raised the quality and importance of JALA. More than ever before, JALA interactively serves a spectrum of lab automation professionals on multiple levels and in a variety of meaningful ways. Witnessing Mark's success with JALA has been an inspiration. As ALA president, I am honored to be the one to officially thank Mark on behalf of our association, its volunteers and members. Our professional playing field is stronger and more visible and viable because of his vision and leadership.
As ALA president, it also has been my privilege to work with the ALA Board of Directors and the many volunteer members of ALA's different committees. ALA is fortunate to have such a strong legion of committed leaders. Their talent, time, and energy have fueled innovation within our organization—not just as plans on paper, but as tangible membership benefits. This past year alone, ALA has presented lab automation professionals with more tools and opportunities than in many other years combined, and with continued guidance from our excellent professional staff, we are poised to continue this momentum well into the coming years. I am proud of the progress we made during my year as president, and I look forward to watching ALA's star continue to shine.
Speaking of shining stars… This issue of JALA also is special because it showcases scientific papers by some of the 2006 ALA Innovation Award finalists. Each year at LabAutomation, the ALA Innovation Award program recognizes work that is exceedingly innovative, and contributes to the exploration of automation technologies in the laboratory. David Ecker of Ibis Biosciences was honored with the 2006 ALA Innovation Award and presented with $10,000 for his winning presentation. We are fortunate to be part of a community where thought leaders like these are willing to so generously share their insight and experience. I hope we all take this opportunity to learn from them.
Sincerely,
