Excellence – A Father’s Influence

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to appear on “Anything is Possible,” a popular local television program hosted by Hallerin Hilton Hill. In Hallerin’s words, the goal of the program is “telling and documenting the inspiring stories of people who give the best of who they are to make the world better.” I was honored to be a guest on the program.

One of the questions Hallerin asked me was about the people who influenced me in my career and in my development as a person – as a leader, a husband to a wonderful wife, and a proud father of a son and a daughter, both of whom are in college.

As many people know, personal excellence is very important to me, and I developed a pledge of excellence for all of the team members of Covenant Health shortly after I became CEO. When I think about excellence, one of the primary influences in my life was my father. He taught me that any task or challenge I undertake deserves my very best effort – in other words, as our Covenant Health pledge says, to strive for excellence in everything I do. He has been – and continues to be – an inspiration to me and is my constant encourager. I shared more about my father on “Anything is Possible” – you can see the full interview at the link below.

This coming weekend is Father’s Day, when we celebrate or remember fathers and their influence in our lives. I extend my best wishes to fathers and to all who serve as positive role models and mentors for our children and youth. Thank you for all you do to strengthen families and communities, and for inspiring those around you to be the very best they can be.