Throughout the year we have staff forums for all Cato employees. A highlight of the spring meeting is the honoring with tenure awards of all the “Cato-ites” who are celebrating milestone anniversaries of service to the institute and our mission.

It was at this event on March 31, 2015, when I was introduced to the team as Cato’s new president. On that day, Alan Peterson, Cato’s director of management information systems, was honored for 30 years of service to the institute. It blew me away. I’d come to Cato from Wall Street, where many firms don’t survive 30 years—let alone being staffed by 30-year veterans.

Such passion and dedication are even more extraordinary when one considers that Alan, who has since entered a well-deserved retirement, isn’t an outlier. Cato maintains a high standard of accountability for individual performance, in contrast to so much of Washington, DC, where most jobs, both in and out of government, seem to be lifetime sinecures. No one stays at Cato for decades unless their sustained contributions merit it. So what a measure of devotion to our cause it is that so many Cato-ites—in addition to deserving to serve such a long tenure— choose to do so. I can’t thank them enough.

This year we had to design a new version of the loyalty award, as for the first time we were honoring Cato leaders— two of them!—who were marking 40 years with the institute. For four decades, Jim Dorn has steadfastly been one of Washington’s leading voices for monetary reform. Jim manned the helm of the Cato Journal from 1982, shortly after its inception the year prior, until the final issue was published last fall. And this September, Jim will quarterback Cato’s 40th annual monetary conference, an event he founded.

And with 41 years of service, David Boaz is the longest-tenured employee in the history of Cato. Like Cal Ripken’s record-setting 2,632 consecutive games, I can’t conceive of anyone exceeding David’s record of service and dedication.

David is a foundational figure of the libertarian movement, and without him Cato wouldn’t be the influential and respected voice of liberty it is today. For 41 years he’s been immersed in nearly every aspect of Cato’s work and operations and has made as important a contribution as anyone to keeping Cato sharp, principled, independent, nonpartisan, and libertarian. His commitment to excellence is infectious. David’s book The Libertarian Mind is a brilliant articulation of our philosophy. He has made substantial contributions to rolling back the war on drugs, putting school choice on the map, and promoting the struggle for marriage equality. More than that, he’s had a hand in everything Cato has done as well as cultivating a real libertarian presence on the national stage. In short, David has spent decades pushing back against the state and pushing for the largest possible space for civil society. Along the way, he’s been a persuasive spokesman for our mission and values. When David spoke at last autumn’s Cato Club Retreat about “Why We Are Here,” I saw more than a few tears in listeners’ eyes.

In recognition of these contributions, it’s with pride that I announce David will join F. A. Hayek, James Buchanan, and José Piñera as a Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Cato Institute.

In connection with this appointment, David will help secure the Institute’s future. He’ll focus his efforts on writing, speaking, and intellectual leadership as opposed to management, paving the way for a new generation at Cato. Emily Ekins, Gene Healy, Scott Lincicome, Norbert Michel, Clark Neily, Alex Nowrasteh, and Ian Vásquez have accepted expanded responsibilities for management of the Cato policy staff within their respective areas and will each play a growing role in charting Cato’s future.

When David began his career at Cato, the Iron Curtain still divided Europe, the Supreme Court would soon uphold anti-sodomy laws, economic liberalization in China had barely begun, the school choice movement was yet to be ignited, the war on drugs was nearing its peak, and the largest country in South America was still ruled by the military. We’re ever conscious of the threats to liberty and the areas in which it’s been in retreat. But by any objective measure, the world is freer than when David arrived at Cato. And I’m confident in the knowledge that our emerging generation of leadership—in the face of today’s grave challenges—will make every effort to ensure it’s freer still when they’re ready to pass the torch to their successors.