In my 44 year career as a Clinical Laboratory Professional, I’ve been blessed to serve as a bench technologist, a supervisor, a member of “middle management,” and Chief Executive Officer of various organizations.  Working in the non-profit sector at a regional blood center has compromised the majority of my career, but I also had a very enjoyable two year opportunity with a commercial pharmaceutical firm that produced blood banking reagents and provided consultation services.  During this period, I was blessed to be able to work with a majority of pioneers in the blood banking profession including Dr. Phillip Levine, Drs. Race and Sanger, Dr. Mollison, Dr. Alexander Weiner, and many more.  Here at Gulf Coast, I was honored to be selected as the Founding CEO and have held that position since January 1, 1975 when The Blood Center opened. 

    One of the many blessings I’ve had is to be able to give back to the profession in the form of service to professional organizations.  I was very proud to be the first blood bank technologist to be elected President of the American Association of Blood Banks and even prouder that many blood bank specialists were ultimately elected to that office.  Whether I am dealing with an individual patient or their family, working with medical technology or blood bank technology students, medical students, professional colleagues, volunteers, blood donors, politicians or any of the other myriad of folks I work with, there are always two things that guide the discussions and my positions on various issues.  The first is an unwavering commitment to excellence.  Nothing but the best must be provided.  Patient lives depend on it, effective relationships need it to make a team function properly, and ultimately what is done must withstand public scrutiny.  The second thing is integrity.  Regardless of the situation or the individuals involved, personal and corporate integrity must prevail.  Some have defined integrity as “doing the right thing when no one is watching,” and I believe that is an excellent definition.  Equally important, however, is publicly demonstrating the integrity so you encourage others to do the same. 

    In my professional, military, volunteer and private lives, my training as a medical technologist and blood bank technologist have served me extremely well and is the backbone of my values.  I can think of no better profession, and the self satisfaction at the end of the day of knowing that because your personal and collective efforts, a patient is alive that would have otherwise not survived.  Like you, I am blessed to be in this profession!  I’m proud of it, and I’m honored to serve with you.