2010: A Year to Remember

Last year at this time, the members of the ALA and SBS boards had spent about a year exploring the potential for an alliance and were in agreement that the advantages for both organizations were profound. Five months later, in May, the memberships of both organizations agreed and approved the merger conclusively. It was energizing to see that SBS and ALA exceeded quorum requirements by 124% and 218%, respectively, and that 95% of the votes were cast in favor of the merger.

“…the achievements of this past year fill me with great pride and excitement.”

As the 2010 president of the SLAS Laboratory Automation Executive Council, the achievements of this past year fill me with great pride and excitement. Our merger into SLAS was a tremendous step forward into a carefully considered future. How to continue into this future is now well defined by a strategic plan that was developed with vision, energy, and thoughtful deliberation. If you haven't read the new SLAS Strategic Plan, I encourage you to do so at SLAS.org.

Whether you call it a milestone, landmark, or a turning point, 2010 always will be a year that I will remember. Throughout the coming years, as I watch our new society evolve, it will be with a grateful sense of achievement. With this, I offer my most sincere thanks to those who served with me on the ALA Board of Directors, especially those who are retiring from the board along with me at the end of this year: Kerstin Thurow of the University of Rostock Center for Life Science Automation in Rostock, Germany, and Jason Abbas of Syngenta Seeds in Slater, IA.

I'd also like to thank the many volunteers whose contributions deliver meaningful value to our more-robust-than-ever scientific community. Our vitality as an organization is rooted in active member participation. Those who contributed to the society by authoring journal manuscripts, conference posters, and LabAutopedia items, making podium presentations, or just being at events and asking questions and participating in discussions, have my highest regard. It is this sharing of knowledge and identity that gives our scientific community the momentum it needs for future success.

The members of the ALA, SBS, and SLAS professional teams also deserve a word of thanks. Their exceptional hard work and expertise have allowed and will continue to allow our society leaders and volunteers to focus their time, talent, and energy on shaping an effective vision and backing it up with high-quality scientific content.

Continuing the theme of high-quality scientific content, I look forward to the upcoming Lab Automation 2011, January 29 to February 2, in Palm Springs, CA. Again, thanks to a team of dedicated and well-informed volunteers and staff, we have an outstanding program planned. I hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Malcolm Crook