We went to England for three years with a subsidiary of Pacific Telesis and started a cable TV company in the UK. I began as an engineering consultant but later ran the company for a while. I returned to the US as a consultant for another Telesis company, which later became Air Touch. When we were awarded a license to build a cellular telecom company in Spain, I commuted to Madrid for a couple of years. When I was back in the US, with my wife and daughter we started WorkVantage, Inc. a workplace training and development company. Activities included career counseling, organizational development and succession planning, and training in a variety of areas like conflict resolution and non- financial aspects of retirement planning. Most clients were employers, but occasionally individuals also paid for our services. Together, we authored and published a book in 1997, “Me, Myself and I, Inc.: Ten Steps to Career Independence.” We closed the company three years ago. I continue to occasionally work on projects with my daughter, but for all practical purposes I am retired at this point.
4. Is there a history of community service in your family background? Briefly, how would you describe it?
My father was a Methodist minister He became a minister when I was 12, and my mother fully participated in the decision. He was very interested in social issues and expressed it through his ministry and the church. Latter on, he became involved in Big Brothers/Big Sisters. My mother and father both set a pattern for community service which I have followed.
5. What do you consider to be the principal strengths and capabilities that have made you an effective civic community leader? Are they rooted in action, in your personal style, in your organizational, political, and personal relationships, or in something else?
I like people and think that is important. By nature I am a fairly patient person, but in my earlier days I wasn’t forceful enough in some of the leadership roles that I had. I believe I have learned to balance things (i.e., have learned that I have to be both patient and impatient at the same time and apply those traits appropriately). Part of this balance, which I think I do reasonably well, is seeing the big picture while being able to focus on a particular practical action. So being able to bring this balance to many situations is probably my greatest strength. I also believe that a sense of humor is important in working with people, particularly in the volunteer community sector. This is different than the business world, where you have authority and people are paid to listen and follow directions. In the nonprofit world, a sense of humor is very important in helping to motivate volunteers.
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