Message from the Chair: Entering a Time of Opportunity

BY: CLEO WEAVER, ABC KEYSTONE 2021 CHAIR OF THE BOARD

Alas it is winter, and we just celebrated – or endured – Groundhog Day. Old Punxsutawney Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter for our 2021 Pennsylvania weather! My purpose in referencing Groundhog Day for this article is taken from the 1993 movie of the same name, when Weatherman Phil repeated Groundhog Day over and over until he learned important life lessons and got it right.

A movie critic I am not, but I am a good judge of character, therefore, I know the readers of this article do not need to repeat 2020 to get it right. You lived it and learned from it, and hopefully will never need to endure it again. Your future will be determined by the lessons you learned and your entrepreneurial spirit within, guiding you into a better year. At ABC, we call this the “It” Factor!

This month we focus on Workforce and Career Development. Our future leaders are looking to us for guidance, as many times they are still trying to find their way in the industry. This is our chance to show that while the early stages of the learning curve include menial work, these young team members are on a path to a truly rewarding career and not just a “job.” As you meet with your workforce, challenge them to set and attain goals and ideals to reach the next level, making sure to lead by example. Avail yourselves of all opportunities to improve your workforce by providing smart training and true career opportunities. Your efforts will build favorable working attitudes and conditions. The future is in our hands, and I am confident we will equip and show our loyal workforce the best way forward.

I challenge each of us and our companies to learn from any past missteps and not repeat them, especially the scenario of finding our ourselves understaffed or unprepared for the possibilities that lie ahead. I believe one such possibility for our industry is the opportunity to restore and repurpose facilities to accommodate the changing need for office and retail space. If you believe that when COVID-19 is past, things will return to normal, you could be in for a big surprise. Many of the ways we function, including working, shopping, and socializing, have been permanently changed, and now we need to make the necessary adjustments that will lead us to a stronger future for our communities and lifestyle. This will be an excellent occasion for us to prepare our companies and workforce to benefit from the adjustments to our business community’s needs, as we all tackle these imminent changes.

I write this to continue challenging our Chapter and membership to jump onboard with the changing opportunities around us. By developing our talented workforce, and providing careers through vision and education, we have both a great future and many growth challenges.

2020 was a tremendous challenge. Our Chapter staff and leadership stood steady and strong through it all, and I, as your Chair, am confident that we all stand ready to guide Keystone into the next chapter. May we all determine to have no “Groundhog Days” of useless repeats due to unlearned lessons.