Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
You honor all of us here tonight with your presence at this important annual gathering and dinner. Your participation this evening is all the more meaningful to those of us assembled here, because of your historical association with the foundation and with the Bryce Harlow Award, itself, as its 1992 recipient.
Given the exacting demands on your time, I cannot say thank you enough for your being here tonight and for your friendship over so many years. I only wish Vicki, my wife of 37 years, could have been here as well, to enable me to thank her for helping make this opportunity possible. However, God had other plans for her. And, while I have missed her each and every day since she took her leave of us late last summer; I am blessed with a wonderful legacy-two terrific grandchildren, their uncle and a very special daughter. Thank you, Kristin, for your love, compassion, and your support.
I would also like to recognize my fellow award winner tonight, a longtime friend to so many of us, Congressman John Boehner. John, your door has always been open, your energy boundless and your creativity and willingness to expend yourself in a worthy cause deserving of the very highest of praise. Thank you for your good humor and for your leadership.
I stand before you humbled, and accept this recognition with two important conditions. First, that I am here as you- each and every one of you. No one among us arrives here as just one. We are but part of a larger mural — a continuum, if you will, of professionals working hard to do the right thing in this wonderful experiment in democracy we call the United States of America.
We improve and we get better because our colleagues and our competitors make us so. We are lifelong learners, refining yet further the intent of the Founding Fathers. For that first-ever handwritten letter, we were the inkwell; for that first automobile, we were the fuel; and for that first personal computer, we were the chip. In short, we in our profession enhance and enlarge the benefits of the work of others — something upon which we should all take justifiable pride.
My second acceptance condition is that each of you commits to invest as much time in those new to our profession, as was invested in you by others.
In our form of government, advocacy is a highly practiced and invaluable skill. We should never allow it to become static; for it will die and soon be replaced. By something better? I think not! New blood in our profession, properly nurtured and mentored, is what will keep us — over time — vital, relevant and irreplaceable. We have, each and every one of us, an obligation we cannot shirk.
To the Bryce Harlow Fellows and other young professionals among us this evening, I cannot imagine a calling more worthy of your interest and your commitment. If you work hard, hone your skills, befriend others and keep true to your word; you will experience the thrill of victory more times than you can even begin to count. And, yes, you will not be immune to the pain of defeat. But that is not all bad.
I am reminded of a famous quote by Theodore Roosevelt that captures well the opportunity before you in our business-government relations profession. And, I quote: “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out where the strong man stumbled, not where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who tries and comes short again and gain; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worthy cause; who in the end, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement and at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”
No one among us stands alone. We are an accumulation of one another.
Who you work with helps define who you will be. In my case, I am grateful beyond words to those many of you with whom I have had the honor of serving — from my association experience with the American Petroleum Institute, the American Plastics Council and the American Forest & Paper Association; to my professional involvement with ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership; to my volunteer service with the U.S. Chamber, NAM, NFIB, NAW and others; to my political work in fundraisers, conventions, campaigns and canvassing; to my charitable work with Rebuilding Together; and to my engagement with a range of firms involved in lobbying, public opinion research, advertising, public affairs, workforce issues and legal representation. I’ve borrowed from each and every one of you, and you have taught me much.
Look around, you young fellows and new entrants to the profession. You will not encounter a finer bunch of lifelong colleagues and friends. The better part of each day of your working life will be spent among colleagues. It matters greatly where you elect to spend your time. Choose wisely your career path.
In my case, I did so many years ago, and I have never looked back and never regretted for a moment that choice. I am a disciple and practitioner of advocacy. I go to work every day and interact with some of the finest people one will ever encounter. I am given the chance to make a difference — sometimes in something really big. I’ve learned to be patient and to curb frustration. I’ve learned that it is still critical to pay attention to the daily detail, but that it is the longer reach of time that ultimately defines who you are. I’ve learned that it is people who really make the difference. I’ve grown up to be a better person. And, I owe a lifetime of thanks to each and every one of you here tonight. Thank you and God bless you all.