During this week's conference, Ray Taurasi was honored with the 2016 IAHCSMM Award of Honor. Over the course of his career, Ray Taurasi has worked has in many facets of the sterile processing industry, including as a technician, a manager, a director, consultant to healthcare facilities, and most recently as the Eastern Regional Manager of Clinical Sales for Healthmark Industries. Most impressive has been his involvement in IAHCSMM which included a term as President in 1992, and as an IAHCSMM Executive Board for 11 consecutive years. During that time, he proved influential in laying the foundation for Association's growth and helping IAHCSMM become the successful organization it is today. Ray also was a longstanding advanced member of ASHCSP that eventually merged with IAHCSMM. He is an active member and contributor to AORN, AAMI, AHA and SGNA. He has served as a faculty member for numerous colleges. He has long authored articles, columns and textbook chapters, including a monthly column in a leading industry publication. In fact, his many contributions led to a Mayoral proclamation of "Ray Taurasi Day" in the City of Boston. Taurasi's awards include, among others, the IAHCSMM Leadership Award, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Harvard Chair Distinguished Service Award, the Surgicot Dr. John Perkins Memorial Award, and the MDT/Castle Educator of the Year Award. He was also a two-time recipient of the AMSCO Scholarship for Educational Excellence & Development of Others, and was named by Healthcare Purchasing News as one of the "Most Influential People in Healthcare Sterile Processing" over the last 30 years. Most important to those of us who work with him every day, he is a mentor, an inspiration, and a friend. On behalf of Healthmark, I would like to congratulate Ray Taurasi as recipient of the 2016 IAHCSMM Award of Honor.