EMP-25
Rep: Dale L. Peterson
1300 Camberley Ct.
Keller, TX 76248
Tele/Fax: 817.742.2525
Mobile Tel.: 817.312.3967
Office Tel.: 214.540.3352
dpeterson@myautoloan.com
Well how about EMP-25'ers – it's been an incredible 20 years since we have sat at the doorstep of enlightenment! It actually seems very surreal to me that those events, the classes, your friendships and our everlasting bond have traveled so far.
I thought about writing some more fantasy material for this 20th reunion edition but decided that tell each of you how much you have meant to me, and how I've often looked back and thought about each and every one of you. I cherish having had the opportunity. I still laugh about the day I was notified that I had been accepted into EMP-25, and knew, just knew that Erica must have gotten me confused with someone else. Before classes began, Kellogg had some "tutorial sessions" that Steven L. Hamilton and I attended and actually sat together during the instructional lectures for several weeks. Steven, do you remember me talking about how I knew there had to be some kind of mix-up and that any day they would figure it out and come tap me on the shoulder? Well that feeling probably stayed with me for the first year. It's funny now, but not then!
On a bit more of a serious side, when each of us looks back on our lives we see that we have survived many trials (classroom lectures) and often, to our own amazement, we learned something in the process. The lessons learned were all different but nonetheless real, as we have taken those insights and furthered our careers and hopefully, made this a better world to live in.
Over the last 20 years, we have all faced those times in our lives when the pressure mounted beyond what we felt we can handle, and we found ourselves, on occasion, thinking that we did not have the strength, the wisdom or the energy to carry on. There have been those times when we have just gotten through a major obstacle at work or issues with family - only to find another problem waiting for us the moment we finally catch our breath. One core principle that I learned was that I did not have to have the answers to every situation, problem or crisis. I simply needed to surround myself with people who did and I counted on them and gave them my trust. And where did I come up with that? That's what our study groups did for all of us! Those bonds helped us build our world of enlightenment and gave us the ability to be a "ring knocker" from Kellogg. Remember what that was all about?
I am still amazed when I look back at the roads I've traveled since we were all classmates. Those days were some of the most challenging and stressful that I've endured, but I still think of the strength I gained from so many of our classmates at Kellogg. My study group, which I will never forget, consisted of Peter Krol, Fred J. Brunk, William R. Knab, Donald R Misner, and Nicki L. Schuh. I am sincerely honored to have been associated with these characters. I've been blessed because of it. These are some of my lifelong friendships to this day.
What an amazing time it was for all of us. Over the last 20 years, we have each had our "roads to cross" or the "mountains to climb" but in each of those instances, we had to break through our ideas about how much we can handle and go deeper into our hidden reserves. "Self-limiting behavior and thoughts" was another thing I learned and took with me from my "Journey through the halls of the Allen Center."
There have been those times in our lives that we thought we did not have the strength to handle what is before us – those times can be likened to the cold hard surface of a frozen lake. It appears to be an impenetrable fact, but when we break through it, we find that a deep well of energy and inspiration was trapped beneath that icy barrier the whole time. Sometimes we break through by cutting a hole into our resistance with our willpower, and sometimes we melt the ice with our determination for our predicament. Either way, each time we break through the ice, we reach a new understanding of the strength we store within ourselves. Each of you, believe it or not, helped me learn, become more determined, and trust "my teams" throughout these last 20 years.
When we find ourselves up against that frozen barrier of thinking, also known as that self-limiting thought process, we think we cannot handle our situation. We may find that the kindest choice is to take better care of ourselves and know that our resistance to change will go away. Kellogg reminded me of that at times. We can simply accept that we are overwhelmed, exhausted and stretched, and we can offer ourselves kindness and compassion. Fortunately, my study group and my friendships within EMP-25 were able to carry me though some very challenging times. If we can extend to ourselves the knowledge that our friends, family, and even our Kellogg classmates' compassion are amazing, then before we know it, the ice will begin to break.
Let me share some of the updates that I did receive. I was disappointed that more of you did not respond. Somehow some of you must think this is all I have to do – one day I will just have enough of the "no support" and "no effort" crowd, but until then, here is my best shot.
Dan Leffert sent the following update for which we are all grateful to see how things have worked out for Dan: "Vicky and I retired at the end of 2009 after living and working outside the country for the last 10 years with Nestlé. I joined Nestlé shortly after EMP-25, managing two factories before being appointed director of industrial operations for Nestlé USA at their HQ in Los Angeles. Not too long after, we took our first international assignment at world headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland where I led an internal software development, training and maintenance team responsible for the factory management systems for Nestlé's 500+ global factories. Our son actually graduated from high school there (graduation ceremonies were held in a 13th century castle – how cool!), with our daughter attending the equivalent of junior high.
"From there, we moved to Toronto where I was the SVP of operations (manufacturing and R&D, purchasing, supply chain) for Nestlé's Canadian market. Five years and a successful market restructuring later, we moved back to Switzerland for my final position as VP of operations for Nestlé's global foodservice beverage business. I was having so much fun after two years I decided to retire!
"We've landed in Castle Rock, Colo., about 20 miles south of Denver in a fantastic neighborhood that celebrates happy hour every Friday night. From our back deck, we have a great view of the foothills and Dog the Bounty Hunter's house (no kidding!). And while our son's career will keep him mobile for awhile, our daughter is close enough that she can visit on weekends but not so close that she's here for dinner every night – empty nesters with both kids off the family payroll and only one granddog – woohoo!
"My retirement present to myself was my fourth Harley-Davidson, and last year I saw 38,000 miles of this great country with it. This year, I intend to beat that, and I'm already planning a ride to Prudhoe Bay, Ala., with some friends. Sure beats working." Sounds like you're having a great time! Let us know how Alaska was!
Here is a note from Brian L. Rucks: "My wife and I will be actively working in the 2012 Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club, here in Chicago, at the end of September. One interesting note: We hosted Sergio Garcia in our home for the 2006 PGA – it was fun and a great experience but after Tiger Woods came over to party and brought about 15 of his closest female friends, we decided not to do that this year during the Ryder Cup."
It's been a while since we heard from Mike V. Schrock but he sent in this great overview: "Wow, it's been a long time. I have enjoyed hearing snippets of news from time to time. I'm living in Minneapolis, where I've been exiled for the last 10 years…[ I have spent my whole life trying to get out of cold climates, but somehow manage to work my way back…I think I've given up]. Our family consists of my long-suffering wife (Cathy) and two beautiful kids, Lauren and Alex. We have no dogs or pets, except a horse named Starry Night who eats enough to make sure we can't think of retirement any time soon. Still working at Pentair, where I've been for 14 years as president/COO. We make some really boring things, but some fun things too. For example, pool equipment, water filtration equipment, pumps, electrical and electronic hardware are some of the things we make. The most exciting and the latest cool thing is we bought a company that is big in the beer processing/brewing industry. So I "had" to go to Oktoberfest in Germany to network with the six million people there. Sure wish I could remember something about it, but at least all of that late night extracurricular research from the EMP program paid off. I have recently joined the Master Brewer's Association, so I hope to learn some things that I actually can remember. Next vertical market we're moving into: wine. Things are looking up….
"Other stuff: I'm on the board of the MS Society got involved after a friend in Chicago got MS. They tricked me into being chairman, but am about to give up my role there and go back to being a regular volunteer. Have been doing the MS 150 bike ride every year and last year had a team (Pentair) of about 30 riders. Keeps me motivated trying to stay with the pack.
"We also have had a German exchange student stay with us for a year. She's now a close part of our extended family. Great experience! We catapulted into "Teenagedom" in one quick strike. Good prep for my daughter who is now entering the same phase. I'm thinking of going (escaping) back to school for a couple of years, maybe do the nights and weekends thing again.
"I really miss my study group! I was at Northwestern last fall for my son's diving meet, and it felt so strange… kept wanting to head over to the Allen center for a power lunch, but lacked the necessary credentials. I also had this irresistible urge to write a case study. Fortunately it abated quickly."
"Hello, everyone! This is Erik E. Olson. Hope you're doing great, making tons of money and donating millions to Kellogg. I'm back out East and am now a VP at Ipsos, a French marketing research giant. I'm remarried, too. My wife Mary Ann and I have three children and one granddaughter!"
A big thanks to R. Scott Blankenship for sending in this update: "I hope this note finds you doing well. As for an update, the best news is that I became a grandfather in April and was very excited about that. I know, you are wondering how a 32-year-old could be a grandfather already. I was only 12 when I attended and graduated from Kellogg… Cathy and I are doing well. Last May, I did move back into a full time position as the director of economic development and tourism for Lake County, Fla. I really am enjoying this challenge and as everyone knows it's all about jobs, jobs, jobs."
It was great to hear from Karen L. Powell who sent this great update: "Wow…can't believe it's been 20 years. Yet, I look at my youngest daughter who I delivered the summer before graduation and well, it's an easy reminder!
"I have had an interesting/exciting run the past decade. I started a global business process outsourcing and consulting company in 2001 with operations in India and the U.S. The company, Worldzen, was funded by the Carlyle Group out of D.C. It grew to over 1,200 employees globally before its acquisition in 2007 by Keane Inc., a billion dollar IT services firm. After staying on as a member of the executive leadership team for two years, I left to take a short breather and began working on my next two ventures.
"In March of 2011, along with my partner of the past 14 years, we launched two new business ventures: Provana LLC, a legal process outsourcing company, again creating operations in India though this time focused on law firm processes. My second venture though is driven by my passion to bring the best of India to the U.S. We are starting with introducing food in a fast-casual setting by opening a number of restaurants through our brand, OMango (eatomango.com). Our value proposition was to take the incredible food of India and present it in a quick, casual, contemporary format. Our grand opening for our first location was March 8. Much more to come, you can count on it."
I really appreciated the note from Vince Inendino. It's been some time since I've heard from him so this will catch everyone up: "Mike Bauer, Greg Orlando and I have stayed close since our days in EMP-25. We've become close friends and golfing buddies, and we even reminisce about the personals magazine we published during our second live-in week. That was a fantastic time, and we still laugh about it today.
"Terry and I have been married for over 28 years now, and we're also blessed with two wonderful sons. Vinnie (25) landed his dream job in August as assistant band director at Schaumburg High School, his alma mater. Even better, when the head band director retires in three to four years, they want Vinnie to take over the music program. I guess his time at Northwestern School of Music is really paying off for him. Jonathan (20) is in his second year in the business school at the University of Illinois. He plans to major in accounting. Believe it or not, I had nothing to do with that decision, but it looks like he's a chip off the old block. We're very proud of the great young men that both Vinnie and Jonathan have become.
"I left Schneider Electric in April 2009, and after a few stops along the way at Beam Global and Nalco, I've started my new role as vice president, tax at TransUnion in mid-February. I'm really hoping to have a nice mini-run at TransUnion and I'm very excited to be joining them at this point in their evolution, since they plan to do an IPO this year and are growing very aggressively internationally.
"I still think back fondly to our time in EMP-25 and all the great moments we had there. It was truly one of the greatest times of my life. The years have really flown by, and I can hardly believe it's been 20 years already, because it seems like just yesterday. I guess it just shows that you really do have to live for the moment. Be well, everyone and please stay in touch!"
Wonderful update from Joseph C. Czopek: "Here is my update of the last 20 years. Kathi and I adopted twin boys less than a year after we left Kellogg. They just graduated high school and are 'contemplating their next steps in life'. My career has taken some pretty interesting turns since we left Kellogg. In 2003, I decided to get into the mortgage business. Just in case, if you have not heard about the mortgage business, feel free to give me a call and I'll fill you in. I'm thinking you can guess how that ended.
"I am now in the banking business at Citizens Republic Bancorp. It's the bank that helped launched General Motors and is headquartered in Flint, Mich. The place is terrific, has an awesome executive team and has a fantastic culture. Everything is about the team and I feel fortunate to be there, especially in these turbulent times, with this current administration in D.C. We are in the process of moving from mid-Michigan to Indianapolis, more specifically to Zionsville, Ind., a quaint and beautiful area just north of Indianapolis. Once completed, it will be our fifth relocation since graduation. All have been in the Midwest. We don't want to stray too far from Big 10 country. While there have been a few bumps, all in all, not bad. Hope this finds everyone well!"
It's so nice to hear from classmates who have not shared with us their exciting journey. Fortunately, Brendan Coyle has and here is a great snippet of his activity: "I was working with Digital Equipment when I was in EMP-25. I left them in 1994 after 16 years. I then worked for Sybase for three years, Platinum Technology for three years, Open Text for one year, Candle Corp for one year, a small startup for one year, and then finally got settled at Cardinal Health for seven years. So I worked for two companies for my first 22 years, then five companies in the next nine years. I worked for Cardinal as a VP of R&D in one of their divisions in San Diego, commuting between San Diego and Chicago for six years. I now work as the COO of a $7M 'for-profit' career college based in central California, still commuting between Chicago and California.
"Since I was in EMP-25 I have had the opportunity to do a lot of business travel around the world. I have been to England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Israel, Australia, India and Japan. And I think I have traveled to at least 50 different cities in the U.S. Although it has been interesting, I really am quite tired of traveling."
As you will read, Donald R Misner is keeping busy: "I wish I had something big to report! I don't. As far as work goes, I have been selling popcorn door to door now for about two years. The freedom and making of your own hours is really fantastic. To some, life is a tedious grind, especially with how Washington D.C. has forsaken us! If it weren't for my wife Sally, who pushes real estate and is successful by all stretches of the imagination, I'd be eating this popcorn. I just knew that the negotiating class would come in handy someday. Anyway, I'm looking into adopting Peter Krol's "girly man dog" since he is putting it up – guess he spends too much time at the bar that he can no longer take care of it. I hate to see the mutt suffer."
Thomas M. Prescott sent in the following: "Sorry I haven't responded earlier but I've been on an extended business trip over the past two weeks. I'm in Europe now and headed home this weekend. I probably won't provide you an update over the weekend – or before Jan. 23 – I'm not sure I really have anything worth a hoot to say. Oh sure, I could talk about ongoing investigation at work, but that's not very exciting, or I could share with everyone that my executive team is on parole but that should be ending soon – anyway, that's pretty boring. Tell you what, next time you ask me to provide an update I will – I won't mess around like I did this time – I'll jump on it like a cowboy ride in a pig trying to get to the corn trough after a day of avoiding the Bacon Burger buyer from Hardies. Best regards to all."
As they say in Looney Tunes – "That's all folks."
