With the recent, though delayed, publication of the Fall issue of The Journal of Performance Measurement(R) came the announcement that Damien Laker won the Dietz Award for 2009.

As you may have heard, Damien passed away last year. While one might think that our board cast their votes simply because of his death, I don’t believe that’s the case. Damien truly deserved this award. Granted, it was given for a specific article he wrote, but one could look at his career to see how much he contributed to the investment performance industry. He was a prolific writer who contributed greatly to our industry’s body of knowledge. He wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion and offer creative ideas. He developed a software firm which he later sold to Barra. He was a frequent speaker and was chosen as one of the few industry experts to moderate a performance industry website.

Damien is missed by many, but no doubt mostly by his family and friends. We are pleased that we had the opportunity to acknowledge Damien in this formal way and thank the Journal’s advisory board for bestowing this honor on him. Congratulations, Damien!