Retirement

Today we celebrated a partner who has been with our company for 46 years. I'm sure he had a lot of ups and downs. A lot of clients won and a few clients lost. Some disagreements with fellow partners but many good conversations as well. Some fun business trips and some that were not. 46 years. That is a long time to be at one company. I'm sure over the years there was not only the proverbial blood sweat and tears, but actual blood sweat and tears that were poured out for the company. He helped businesses grow. He helped them with their taxes. He helped them figure out answers to questions. Simply put, he saw a lot of stuff over the years. But he also had one important role - he was a mentor to me. When I came to work at the company he was the first person I interviewed with. He invited me into his office, put his feet up on my desk, and said to me, "Let's get the important questions asked first - how are the Tigers gonna do in football this year." He had a way to put people at ease. To train people. To be honest enough to give feedback in both a constructive and honest way. He taught me that clients were our priority; that without clients, none of us would have jobs. He taught me that honesty was indeed the best policy and he demonstrated it. I have been with the company for almost 30 years. There was one time in my career I sincerely considered leaving. It was 25 years ago, and the reason I didn't leave was that I couldn't get to the point of seeing myself tell this person I was leaving. He created a sense of loyalty in me and that has stayed with me over the years. I hope Rick enjoys his retirement. He has earned it, and he has earned my applause as he gave his best to the company for 46 years. Happy Retirement!