Jim,

As I shared when visiting you a short time ago, I have so many more memories when we worked together than all my years since. I want to share with you many of them.

What I learned as an impressionable 24 year old…. That I use today.

Interviews don’t have to be sterile. My interview for the Abington Y Physical Director position was at an airport hotel bar. You had a Southern Comfort on the rocks, Sandy had a Lite beer and I said to myself, “This is the place for me!” As you sat there sipping your drink listen to me talk, I thought you were trying to look through me.

Staff meetings can be a 3 hour stream of consciousness with agendas that go on and on… Oh boy, and in the early years spending all that time in a smoky room on Friday afternoons. I think we all had nicotine high. No wonder we all headed off to the bar after the meeting broke.

Puppy eyed stare of the supervisor. (This is my favorite one to use) Oh when we brought problems to you. We would sing our blues and you would just give us that look. When Kay Wingerd complained that the membership phones weren’t working over and over, you just listened. Once your phone was switched with one of the troubles ones, we got a new phone system in two weeks!

Budget meetings- Jim taught me the Tom Hopkins sales approach. In any negotiation, the first one who speaks loses. Jim. “So your Youth Swimming revenues are only $28K, up only 3.5%? Is it rate increase or increased enrollment? Pause. Greg, “OK make it $30k.” Jim “So your Youth Swimming wages are up almost 5% to 18K? Pause. Greg, OK, make it $16K. I use this technique all the time.

Drastic measures. When you didn’t respond to Jim’s suggestions or memos (no email thankfully in those days), he would resort to drastic measures. In 1986, Ed Mullis, was our Aquatic Director, and his office was on the pool balcony visible to all in the pool. Jim had asked time and again for Ed to clean up his office to no avail. Then one day, while Ed was teaching a swimming class, Jim carried a 55 gallon trash can into the pool area, climbed up into Ed’s office and started throwing stuff into the trash can sitting on the pool deck. You should have seen Ed’s face!

Quotes. Jim would help people feel the YMCA through use of quotes on memos and meeting agendas. He gave me a quote book that I use regularly still today. My favorite quote he used was something like, “Renke IV  If you don’t have it, you can’t spend it.”

Financial analysis. Jim introduced me to the Salary/Revenue ratios. Different program areas have different S/R norms. A quick calculation of the ratio can let you know you have a problem to resolve. Its always the first thing I check.

Budgeting. Oh those were the days when Jim made us use a calculator with a tape to check our work Oh the hours we spent adding numbers and letting the tape pile up on the floor. Jim used to make us round to the nearest $100. It was neat and clean- it was a guide. We found out he liked to use 100s because it was easier for him to push the 00 key on the calculator then two more key strokes. I still like to round to the nearest 100. There’s something comforting about it.

Jim’s budget forms. They made you list your enrollment and revenue history for two years and then based upon that data make a decision for the next year. Boy how I loved those forms. So much so, that when I moved on I recreated them into excel and added all sorts of formulas. We still use them and I have those same conversations you had with me 25+ years ago.

Love and Compassions during a Crisis. You really see who a person is when things go wrong. Jim, we went through so much together, but nothing was as intense as the 1985 summer camp drowning of Marty Green. You were an inspiration in how much love and compassion you showed the three lifeguards who were on duty, fellow campers, me and certainly the family. It wasn’t until 1997 until we really talked about how the event had affected each of us.

My dad’s quote- 1985, my dad after meeting you said to me, “That’s how I picture you in 20 years.” Oh, not the headband, missing hair and knee brace. But I was always proud of the statement.

You can have a wonderful friendship with those who you work with and for: Working lunches, Volleyball leagues, Dewey Beach house, Skiing, parties at your house, sharing time with our families. I learned that as I became your friend, I never wanted to disappoint you and as a result, never worked harder.

One final memory… in order to get you to come to the surprise baby shower, I convinced you that a pipe burst in the filter room and the water was pouring into the childcare center. I met you halfway down the hall and shook my head stating how bad it was…. Only to see you be totally surprised by the large group gathered there. It was hard to pull something over on you, so this was one to remember.

Thank you, Jim. For being my friend throughout the years. For all the hundreds of valuable lessons. For the many long conversations. You have been the most influential person in my life. As I told you when we were together, I see your influence nearly every day in the many things I do and conversations with staff. I owe most of what I know and my success to you.

Your influence lives on in the lives, that those of us who worked with you, touch. In the end we want to believe we made a difference. YOU DID! Thank you for this gift. God bless you.

Greg