Despite these challenges, I witnessed many examples of leadership by our staff and volunteers. You know who you are, so I don’t need to pump your tires anymore, but a handful of people really stepped up in stewarding CAI through its biggest challenge ever.
Probably the most impactful memory from that year was the annual awards event, held in the chapter’s parking lot in Conshohocken. I made the mistake of dressing for “Philly weather” instead of “deer season weather” and struggled with the microphone on that freezing December evening. Despite the cold, everyone hugged, shook hands, celebrated, and no one got sick.
COVID tested me, our volunteers, our staff, and the entire country. Looking back, though, I think the adversity made us a much stronger organization. We harnessed technology. New leaders emerged. We critically looked at our operations to find better, more efficient ways to program and communicate. Perhaps most importantly, we realized just how important the human component is to CAI.
During my year as president, I developed some lasting personal and professional relationships with a lot of people. This may not have happened under any other circumstances. Like it or not, you are all a part of my life.
The late singer/songwriter Jim Croce (a Philadelphia native) once
sang: “No one ever had a rainbow until they had the rain.” COVID was our rain and being able to expand, strengthen, and evolve through it was our rainbow.
I’m still on “sabbatical” until 2026 when my youngest, Hailey, graduates from high school, but I’ll then be ready to start my next chapter with CAI. It is you…our staff, our volunteers, and our partners, that make this organization great. Keep searching for the next challenge (and keep stockpiling that toilet paper. You never know).
Ciao.
www.CAIKey sto ne .org 43
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