People or Events?
April 17, 2009 by Mary Ellen
Do events move you? Or, is it the people who make an impact?
Ribbon-cutting ceremonies at Albuquerque’s WESST Enterprise Center celebrated several years of effort. Politicos, clients, WESST staff and people from a variety of organizations participated in the event.
Megan Kamerick at New Mexico Business Weekly captured highlights from nearly every speaker.
As current president of the Albuquerque Independent Business Alliance, AIBA, I’m especially committed to the opportunities and assistance provided to small independent businesses. I see those types of programs coming from WESST along with meeting space, training programs, advocacy for entrepreneurs and more.
It felt good to acknowledge those who worked to make this 37,000 square foot LEED certified building a reality. As the former marketing and training director for WESST (disclosure) I was involved in the planning stages of this dream, and I saw many familiar faces in the crowd.
G.O. WESST! (Grand Opening, WESST) offered plenty of opportunity for reflection.
Pedro Garza, Regional Director, Economic Development Administration emphasized individuals make the difference. Any organization can have a mission, he said. Unless you have people who can deliver, they’re just words on paper. He quoted from a poem he read in eighth grade:
‘Tis the Set of the Sail — or — One Ship Sails East
Ella Wheeler Wilcox 1916One ship sails East,
And another West,
By the self-same winds that blow,
‘Tis the set of the sails
And not the gales,
That tells the way we go.Like the winds of the sea
Are the waves of time,
As we journey along through life,
‘Tis the set of the soul,
That determines the goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
According to Garza, I’ve answered my own question. It’s the people – and the set of their souls – that make the difference.
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What an accomplishment! It’s a beautiful building with enthusiastic new tenants. Imagine the energy level when all the office spaces are full. And the green wall is worth a visit in itself.
Energy, sustainability, stick-to-it-iveness, green, nurturing…a lot of positive descriptors come to mind.