Some Things Are More Important Than Economic Development

I love my work deeply, but I need to remind myself at times about what is truly most important in life--that is people, especially those who have shaped us during different stages of our lives.

I give thanks on this Thanksgiving Day for my father, who taught me the value of both hard work and doing my best; for my wife, Mary, who reminds me that we need to make the most of everyday of our lives; for my Uncle Ed, who took me under his wing when I was young and struggling to find out what I wanted to do with my life; for my departed father-in-law, Ken, who taught me that your work does not stop when you retire; and for my sons, Jeff and Jason, and grandson, Evan, who remind me that the world of the future will not be like the world of the past.

Finally, I give thanks to economic developers across the world who work to help provide employment opportunities for others.

Happy Thanksgiving.