I first met Ric on a Senate Committee where he stood out right away as the person who was willing to ask some tougher, more uncomfortable questions, in his compellingly direct and straightforward way. I liked the way he made us think harder about institutional choices, and his interest in how we can push ourselves to be a stronger University with a clearer identity. I learned so much from him! Later on we gave a summer of our lives to a task force that reviewed all of York's programs, and what a great experience it was to work with him closely. Somehow we managed to have fun, make friends, and laugh a lot, in between scratching our heads and agonizing. We discovered how much we all care about York, beyond our own academic units and programs. In later years Ric has been a very important mentor for me personally, whether he was aware of it or not. Thanks for your kindness, camraderie, wisdom and support Ric, through many fascinating times. I will miss you terribly, but hope this is the beginning of a wonderful new chapter for you.