The League of Professional System Administrators (LOPSA), a cornerstone organization for system administration professionals since 2005, will formally dissolve by December 31, 2025. In a unanimous board vote announced this week, LOPSA confirmed it will cease operations after facilitating membership transfers to the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

"We will use the remaining time to finalize our membership transfers to ACM and look forward to embarking on a new chapter," stated the LOPSA Board. "We thank you all for your years of support and dedication."

The dissolution decision includes canceling upcoming board elections, as no future terms will be filled. LOPSA’s Bridgewater, NJ-based operations—known for initiatives like Sysadmin Saturday workshops and mentorship programs—will wind down over the next 18 months.

Why This Matters for Tech Professionals

  1. Industry Consolidation: LOPSA’s absorption into ACM reflects broader trends of specialized tech communities merging with larger entities for sustainability. ACM’s infrastructure may offer expanded resources but raises questions about niche advocacy focus.
  2. Legacy Impact: Founded during sysadmin professionalization efforts post-2000, LOPSA pioneered vendor-neutral training and incident response guidelines. Its dissolution marks the end of an era for grassroots infrastructure communities.
  3. Transition Uncertainty: Members should monitor ACM integration details. While ACM provides global reach, LOPSA’s hands-on local events may not directly translate.

Sysadmins and infrastructure engineers are advised to contact [email protected] for transition specifics. This move underscores the evolving challenges facing specialized technical associations in an era dominated by cloud providers and consolidated platforms.

Source: LOPSA Official Announcement