Upbeat and Downstairs: Home of Daryl C. Donatelli
Challenge Your Imagination…
Happy new year!
After several weeks of — let’s call them “bustling” — preparations, I am starting my new assignment as an expat living in Tokyo, Japan. It should be quite the adventure, and I look forward to sharing the pictures and stories on this very web site. The language and cultural training have been going well, but I will still maintain a full reserve of Snickers bars in case I have trouble obtaining food.
Until then, be well and have a wonderful start to 2012!
This weekend is the University of Rochester alumni/reunion homecoming, named Meliora Weekend, which has grown from a small(-ish) gathering of classmates to a 3-day mega-event filled with keynote speakers, diplomats, scholars, comedians, performers, game changers, big thinkers, etc. This year’s keynote speaker was Former President Bill Clinton, and alumni turned out in droves today to hear him speak.
He spoke about the challenges we face as a nation, and offered some tangible, actionable solutions to address those problems. I recall in a speech earlier this year President Clinton said “I’m not President so I get to say and do unpopular things”, referring to the fact that he’s not campaigning, so he gets to call things as they are. Today he did a fantastic job of presenting a non-partisan view of the issues, and further displaying his already incredible wealth of knowledge on a variety of subjects. As one commentator said, “he’s a true polymath“.
Whatever you decide to do in this century, I think perhaps the most important question will be “how do you propose to do it?”, so that you turn your good intentions into positive changes. –Fmr. Pres. Clinton
As I do more and more research, I find the work of The Clinton Foundation to be absolutely fascinating, and the strength and breadth of the support in only 10 short years is astonishing. (Something to the tune of 2,000+ commitments helping more than 300 million people.) He drew parallels between the Foundation’s work and the issues we face as a nation and a world, highlighting the importance of co-operation, and the fact that many other developed and prosperous nations embrace the idea of co-operation, which typically leads to positive outcomes. “The debate [in the U.S.] is all wrong,” he said.
He also commented on how he’s worried, even more so recently, about the future of our country and what it means for our ongoing competitiveness among the global economies. The key to long-term success is to improve the percentage of Americans who actually finish a 4-year degree. (He added that the United States is 1st among nations for percentage of population who start a 4-year college degree, and an astonishing 23rd among nations for percentage of population who finish a 4-year college degree.) When asked about the outlook for recent graduates amid the current economic uncertainty, he provided some encouraging words:
Don’t ever make a decision to be disappointed. Make a decision to be happy, to be fulfilled, to succeed. Life has disappointments enough and setbacks enough without that. But there’s no reason for you to be all that pessimistic if we just get our heads on straight and start doing what works. –Fmr. Pres. Clinton
The biggest thrill for me was that David and I happened to be in the right place at the right time following his talk. We found ourselves among a small group of audience-goers who were lining up to shake hands with or get autographs from President Clinton. Lo and behold, David and I both got to look him right in the eye, shake his hand, and thank him for a great talk. I wasn’t fast enough to capture photos of either David or me mid-handshake, but these two images to the right illustrate the moment fairly well.
It was a very memorable experience for me.
Thank you, President Clinton, for your visit and for your enlightening and thought-provoking keynote address.
The Corn Hill Waterfront & Navigation Foundation (CHN, for short) is a not-for-profit organization with a vision to improve and sustain Rochester’s (NY) waterways for current and future generations through awareness, education, and enjoyment. This year, CHN celebrates its 20th anniversary, which is a significant accomplishment in the non-profit world, as well as a testament to the work done and progress made.
Over the past several years, I have had the privilege of working with CHN in varying capacities, from being a deckhand in grad school (must pay the bills somehow!) to helping the organization with their digital media strategies to being elected to the Board of Directors and, last August, being elected as their Chairman. I will be honest, it has been a humbling experience serving as the Chairman of an organization with so much history and tenure, particularly in reference to the members of the Board. Our organization’s leadership is comprised of community leaders, city and county officials, business leaders, volunteers, and lovers of all things nautical. The founder of the organization, Ted Curtis, is also a prominent figure in the community, and it was his vision 20 years ago to find a way to provide a unique perspective of enjoying the community in downtown Rochester.
I recognize the idea sounds simple, but when you think back to that first conversation, whereby Ted asked if he could bring a boat downtown, there was no Corn Hill Landing, no dock, no development of any kind. The iconic bridge which now spans the Genesee River was an ugly overpass. For reference, even e-mail and web sites were laughable ideas at the time. If I think back, I can imagine it would have been easy to dismiss Ted’s vision.
The tenacity and persistence of Ted and his fellow supporters are what allow residents and visitors to partake in boat rides and educational cruises up and down the Genesee River and Erie Canal. He didn’t give up, and neither did the early leaders of Corn Hill Navigation. Their hard work resulted in not one, but two boats joining the Rochester waterway system, and spawning other operations in communities up and down the Erie Canal. Under the leadership of CHN’s President, Vicki Schmitt, the organization continues to grow and expand into new territories and offerings.
As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, I cannot help but reflect on where we will be in the next 20 years, and how exciting that will be! There will be a celebration on 15 July to cap a week-long dedication to Ted, the organization, and all of its supporters, complete with fireworks later in the evening. (Tickets are available, should you wish to join.) I am looking forward to the gathering and to meeting the task I have been elected to do — continuing the great work of the organization as we enter our third decade of operation.