OR/MS Today - February 1998 - Robinson Retires

February 1998

Robinson to Retire as Executive Director of INFORMS

Randy Robinson, the executive director of INFORMS since its founding following the merger of ORSA and TIMS three years ago, recently announced his retirement, effective Aug. 1, 1998. Robinson released the following announcement:

During the time the board met in Maryland on January 29th and 30th, I obtained approval from the executive committee to formally announce that I shall retire from the office of Executive Director on August 1st, 1998. That date comes at the end of the three-year tour to which I originally committed. And it falls just after my 65th birthday.

I wish to make this announcement now, well in advance, to allow time for a full and careful search for a successor and to provide for a smooth transition to the next executive director.

Serving as the founding executive director of INFORMS has been a great privilege. This is especially true because I was fortunate enough to have served earlier in the volunteer role of Chair of the OR/MS Board when the merger was debated and endorsed, first by the OR/MS Board itself and then by the memberships of ORSA and TIMS. And I was president of the INFORMS corporation when it was established in 1994, prior to full-scale operation that began in January 1995. Thus, having the opportunity to be founding executive director, and thereby help the merger and INFORMS succeed, was most fulfilling.

I feel it is best now that I change roles again. The position of executive director, highly rewarding as it is, does not offer the chance to actually work in our field. I am eager to do that once more, and eager to make the move back into OR/MS soon, while vigor and age still permit.

My heart remains with INFORMS, so I hope to find a future volunteer niche or two in which I may keep serving our worthy OR/MS community.

I can tell you that members of the INFORMS professional staff are skilled, dedicated, and working hard, in some instances extraordinarily hard. They deserve your recognition and appreciation.

I look forward to welcoming a new executive director, and to helping that person get a good start toward advancing INFORMS into the next era of its development, which should be one of substantial further growth in strength and effectiveness.

Randy Robinson

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