It is early morning, Saturday, July 1st. Early rising has just become a norm for Michele and me. My thoughts this morning are about how to be a more effective leader. I read and listen a lot (Michele  may dispute the listening part) about the actions of people around me. Leadership is a passion of mine. I always want to be part of a team that is successful and has fun being together. I learned this early in life when I was playing Little League Baseball. I was part of  2 championship seasons with the Moline Elks. Being a part of Morris football was special where winning became common.  Throughout my life I have been influenced by mentors who I watched closely. Some didn’t even know they were there. Guys like Johnny Austin showed my how to be a great First Sergeant. I was only 17 when I met him and he would influence my life forever. As my own team takes a 5 day well deserved break I hope that I can continue to influence them to keep being successful. We are a high performing team that will need to grow in some other areas to become even better. I am up for the job because of the mentors and experiences I had the last 51 years of life.