You can tell a lot about a person by the company that they keep. I received some of the best advice in my life from my father who relentlessly repeated throughout my childhood, “choose your friends wisely”. Will Rogers once said, “a man only learns in two ways: one by reading, and the other by association with smarter people”. To that end, I have always found it important to evaluate the company I keep----who are they, what do they stand for, and what do they say about me?

When you play tennis, the best way to improve your own game is to play with someone who is better than you. That is what Rotary is for me in my personal and professional life. It is a way for me to surround myself with people who can motive me, inspire me, and push me to be my best. Rotarians are successful, busy, informed, and influential people dedicating themselves and their business to “Service above Self”. It is about thousands of stories being told in once voice. I can’t think of a better or more appropriate social and professional barometer than that!