Intro

Thank you everyone for coming tonight. I see that we have Mr. Jenkins from our regional offices. I am also glad that Mr. Weber could make it. For those of you who don’t know Mr. Weber, he is not only one of our most loyal clients, but also one of Mark’s good friends. I appreciate the fact that each and every one of you is here tonight to listen to me speak about Mark.

My name is Simon and I have only been with Ace Enterprises about a year. Obviously, I don’t know Mark like you know him, and I don’t have all the great stories that you do.

I am here tonight to say that Mark has significantly helped me since I came to work here at Ace. In fact, in retrospect, I am really amazed by just how much help and support Mark has given to me. I have never had a coworker offer me so much guidance.

Reflections

After hearing others talk about Mark and his importance to the company, I have given some reflection to my own personal experience. Mark has tirelessly worked to make sure that I understand what makes Ace Enterprises the great company that it is. He has helped me integrate myself into the IT department much quicker than I might have otherwise.

Mark really understands this place and what makes it tick. That is part of the reason that we all are finding it hard to imagine working here without him.

I have heard others say here today that Mark’s contributions will last for years after he has left the company. From my perspective, this is definitely the case. I know that I will be using many of the skills he has taught me for years to come.

Acknowledgments

I know that everyone feels that Mark keeps everything at Ace Enterprises running smoothly. It will be tough not to miss a guy that contributes so much.

Mark has the natural ability to use technology to facilitate communication between different departments and groups. In fact, most of us here tonight communicate with each other through Mark’s efforts. I think that fact alone underscores just how valuable he is and how much of a contribution he has made.

The Future

Obviously, at first, it will be tricky at Ace Enterprises without Mark. But I know that he has trained a lot of good people and that will make a big difference in the next year.

Soon he will have more time to enjoy life with his beautiful family. Mark, I hope that you and your wife have a wonderful trip to Venice next week and that you drink lots of great Italian wine for me.

Conclusion

Again I want to give Mark a special thank you for taking the new guy in and teaching him all the tricks of the trade. You really went out of your way to make sure that I was prepared and ready to tackle this job. I think the work ethics that you brought with you each and every day really made a difference.

Everyone who works with us in the IT department of Ace knows I am not the most eloquent guy. We computer geeks never are. However, I found a quote by the football coach and speaker Vince Lombardi that I believe really speaks to how I feel about Mark. “Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal.”

Mark, the next time I have a tough problem to tackle, I will think about you and all you have taught me. Thanks for everything man -you’re the best!