Fae Desmond has announced her retirement as Executive Director of Comic-Con International in San Diego Comic Convention. As long as I can remember — and I can remember pretty far back — Fae has been the person at or near the tippy-top of that organization which also runs WonderCon in Anaheim and a few other events. She started as everyone did in the con's early days as a volunteer and was the first such person to transition to a paid position and a longtime job.
Employees at companies may come and go but often the continuity of one or two people provides the continuity of certain principles and working premises. I have found that Comic-Con — which some outsiders still don't understand is a non-profit enterprise unlike most other conventions — is very benevolent and very well-run and Fae's steady hand has been a major reason for all that benevolence and competence.
This sweet lady has been there 47 years and while she (of course) is entitled to retirement, I am sure there will be times when both staff and attendees will miss her a lot. Read what former Director of Programming and Director of Publications Gary Sassaman has to say about her.