After 36 years, I finally made it to Washington D.C., arriving a few days before Donald J. Trump was sworn in as our new president. I have -- over those years as a Soldier and Department of the Army civilian employee -- visited many times for work and pleasure, but never lived here as a resident.
So, exciting days are ahead both personally and professionally.
My wife and I are so excited about the unique opportunities the area provides. The museums, monuments and historical sites present such a great chance for personal growth. Living here opens a new chapter in our lives that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
Just as an example, we walked along Lee Avenue overlooking the Lincoln Memorial and other monuments as we went over to the bowling center on the night before inauguration. What a sight. When we returned to our room, we realized had we stayed there just a few more minutes we would have seen the fireworks!
What a thrill to just be able to say we are this close to action in the nation.
But, this is true on the professional side as well.
I realized this as I was talking with Col. Pat Duggan, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall commander, while he explained his vision for the base to be one of innovation. He said the area has a history of Army and Marine innovators all the way back to the American Revolution, so we should continue that as we go forward.
As a communicator, that is wonderful news. I am a history buff, love print newspapers and enjoy social media. Bringing all that together will be fun and interesting.
I thought about this as I listened to Duggan speak in the Town Hall last Thursday. He discussed the employee surveys which gave indicators that the JBM-HH workforce saw communication as a potential weakness (see article printed on page one) on base.
I am excited to be a part of the team to help turn this around. We hope to build on our head start with social media and digital communication to help find the solution. In the meantime, old-fashioned social conversations should do the trick.
So here is the invite. I am in suite 111 in Building 59 at Fort Myer.
Please come by to welcome me to Washington. I have coffee and a comfortable chair for you.
Social Sharing