We have distinguished guests among us who may wonder what Mathematical Programmers do, and why we deserve support. I am including our spouses in this category.

For our guests, I will give a personal overview of the kinds of contributions we can make to computer-aided decision making. Key parts of the required technology are in hand, but much more research is needed to add crucial functionality.

For my colleagues, my message will be that there are some fascinating research issues we should address, and that interdisciplinary research is a fertile field for our talents.