December Newsletter - 2008 Year-end Recap, Thankful Four

12/26/2008

This is such a special time of year. We give thanks as a nation. We celebrate important religious holidays. We make resolutions to a new year and turn over a new leaf. I’ve made a practice for many years to write down my Thankful Four…four things that I am “thankful for.” It is such an appropriate time to give thanks. What is your Thankful Four? Here is mine…a blend of things I still hold dear and some new thoughts for today:

Doers. Where would we be without the people who decide we have enough plans and enough strategies and it is time to DO? Sure we have to have a direction that makes sense, but don’t we all have a pretty good idea of the direction we’d like to take the Region. Higher skills, more innovation, more inclusive, more collaborative. Good enough? Hail to the Doers who have picked something in this mix and are taking the risk to make it happen, even if they may err somewhere along the way! Give them a break; they are Doing.

Believers. If there ever were a time when we need people who believe in the inherent capability of our Region and our Country, it is certainly today. We are bombarded daily by stories of the mistakes of the past and the worries of the future. Yet, nearly every day at Team NEO we meet people in Northeast Ohio and from around the world that believe in the enormous opportunities right here. Just in the last few days we have met with business people from Spain, China and Germany who are eager to invest here. They believe they can overcome the obstacles of the moment. They believe in the talent of the people here and the many physical assets we have. Growth will return as our confidence returns. Confidence begins with Believing. There are dreams on hold in the Region today. I believe we will see them fulfilled.

The Enduring Physical Beauty of our Region. “Oh, Beautiful for NEO skies…” OK, we don’t see the sky as often as we’d like these days. But, name another major economic region in the US that has its two major cities bound together by a National Park. (A product of Believers and Doers.) All of the river valleys tell the story of our proud history and now are treasures to preserve as we use them wisely. Those physical assets have endured despite the damage we have done to them. Our own Great Lake was something to shun and then we brought it back to life. These are assets that God gave us. We are so blessed to have them.

Next Generation. I believe in the wisdom of the past. I love it when my now 98-year old, going-strong mother tells my kids how, as an immigrant family, she and her many siblings were pushed to go to college as the way to assimilate in a new land. That drive is inspiring. But, I am even more excited about what the next generation is going to bring to our Region. We Baby Boomers came in when the region’s growth was stalling. We have worked through 30 years of economic transition. The Next Generation only sees the opportunities of the future. They are not burdened by what was. The Next Generation’s Believers, Inventors and Investors will take Northeast Ohio/Cleveland Plus to new heights!

For all the challenges of the times, we have SO MUCH more to be thankful for than we acknowledge. Count your blessings and especially, find someone to thank at this special time of the year. What is your Thankful Four?


Tom Waltermire


This CEO’s column is dedicated to the memory of Medical Mutual of Ohio’s Kent Clapp. He was a true “Believer” and “Doer” whose generosity and positive spirit helped launch the Cleveland Plus campaign. His dedication and support of the region will be missed.

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