It is with both joy and sadness I send this email. I am retiring on Friday, September 9.
Forty years ago, I embarked on a vocational path looking for a meaningful career. From a telephone operator, to sales representative to administrative assistant. However, I would not know what meaningful was until I joined the public health profession. These last 10 years have been the best time of my life because I was working with the most dedicated of all professions. Certainly, public health workers are dedicated to leaving the world a better place.
I also was able to learn from the best of the best. I will be forever grateful for having the best teachers in the country Janet Porter, Steve Orton and Karl Umble. From them, I learned many skills among them are communication, management and relationship building. Best of all, by observing them in action, I learned leadership skills. With those leadership skills, I was able to do community work and will continue that community work in my retirement.
My greatest joy was helping all you, my students, write your own business plans while fulfilling all your other responsibilities. Whether it was a friendly reminder or a word of encouragement, I felt I was helping your communities through you.
I am excited about this new adventure in my life. I promise you I will take all I learned from you to make my own community happier, safer and most of all healthier.
It was an honor and pleasure working with you.
--Nancy Cripps