Many people have gone through the pain of a friend moving away. A trusted and loved person who has been around for years suddenly is not so close anymore.

Perhaps someone who understands this well is Harry Clark, NIU’s Information Services manager of Web development and support. For many years, he has worked closely with Bernard “Bernie” Tallman, Information Services executive director.

“It’s been the best work experience that I’ve had,” said Clark of working with Tallman.

He said he worked in many different places with many different people, but working with Tallman took the cake.

Clark was understandably sad, then, because Tallman, who has worked at NIU on and off since 1972, is retiring from his current position.

Tallman explained that, as executive director, his primary concern is overseeing administrative software at NIU, such as the Blackboard Web portal. He had nothing but praise for both his position and his fellow workers and said his reason for leaving had nothing to do with the job he was doing.

Rather, the issue was the location of the job. Tallman recently remarried and his wife lives in Chicago. Because he works in DeKalb, going out to see her has both of them constantly on the road. To cut down on the travel time, Tallman wants to work somewhere on the north side of Chicago. Though he is going, he said he will miss what he will leave behind.

“I’ve really enjoyed my position,” Tallman said. “We’ve accomplished a lot over the years.”

Tallman said both a challenge and an enjoyable aspect of his position was keeping up with technology. He felt he and everyone who worked with him had done a great job of doing so.

Tallman holds both an undergraduate degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in computer science. He received both from NIU. Tallman said he has always worked with computers in some form or another and when he moves to Chicago, he will look for technological work.

To honor Tallman, a ceremony will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, at the Holmes Student Center’s Skyroom. All departments at the university are aware of and invited to the event. Tallman laughed as he said his students knew he was retiring and he had invited them to the ceremony as well.

Clark had high praise for Tallman as both a person and a worker.

“He makes people want to do good,” Clark said.

He said he could say much more, but it could all be summed up in one quick phrase.

“He’ll be missed.”