To Mr. Jack Mc Gurgan,
a colleague, a friend,
an editorial board member,
and a constant source of inspiration

It is my real pleasure and honor to add a few more wishes to the birthday greetings of a very special person – Mr. Jack Mc Gurgan. He is the one who stands behind everything which has been happening in the journal from its very beginnings, the one who is extremely helpful and supportive, the one who is caring enough not just to ask but to do, the one who loves and respects the Russian culture and the people so much that he independently studied Russian and learned it well enough to do beautiful translations.

For the journal and for me personally Jack is truly “Jack-of-all-trades.” He is an accomplished professional who combines skills of a great English teacher and an innovative school principal; he is also an inspiration for hundreds of American and Russian teachers and educators, a presenter at many international conferences, a founder of the “AMERUS Exchange Ltd,” and a father of seven wonderful children and a grandfather of over ten. For decades he has served as an eye-opener for his local and broader community members whom he brought to Russia on their cultural-educational exchanges and for whom such trips became life-long experiences.

Jack has practically everything to consider himself a happy person – a large, loving and supportive family, a number of true friends, a successful career, and… a passion for Russia. I am definitely very lucky to have met him many years ago. On behalf of our editorial board I wish Jack strong health and many years of a very productive, challenging and interesting life with many more adventures in Russia and elsewhere in the world.

Happy Birthday, Jack, and many happy returns of the day.

Sincerely yours,

Tatyana Tsyrlina-Spady,
Editor-In-Chief