The Club celebrates all stripes of public employees, from the sharpest data engineers to the outdoorsy Park Rangers to the most courageous Fire and Police personnel. We honor you all.
But there is nothing quite like walking into a craftsman shop and watching people build things with their hands, or with old-school machines that roar to life at the stomp of a foot pedal.
We had that privilege again in reporting this month’s cover story on the Construction Forces’ Sheet Metal Group in Piper Tech.
Alive! ace photographer (and Club Chief Operating Officer) Summy Lam had an idea he wanted to capture as soon as he walked into the workshop: sparks. It made for an excellent metaphor: creativity sparking to life.
I thank Charley Pallares, Ken Tafoya and Don Ness, all Club Members, for welcoming us. Keep up the great work.
Pins Going Strong
I am delighted so many Club Members from the City and County of Los Angeles and the State of California have responded to our newest Club benefit program: Pins of Purpose service milestone pins.
Pins of Purpose is one of our simplest and most sincere ways of paying tribute to you, the public employees of California, for your service. Request them if you are eligible, so we can honor you. (And thanks to Club Director of Digital Marketing Lupe Lira for managing the program.)
Worth Considering
When was the last time life surprised you in a way that stopped you in your tracks and made your heart smile?
Years ago, driving the 101 into downtown Los Angeles, I heard a radio ad for the University of Michigan’s Executive MBA program. An ordinary moment—but something inside me said, pay attention. I reached for it. That decision led me back to school, then to Chief Operating Officer, and years later, to President and CEO of the Club.
I think about that drive often—especially standing in a workshop like the one at Piper Tech, watching Charley, Ken and Don do work they’ve clearly given their whole selves to. None of them planned the exact path that put a torch in their hand. Something caught their attention, and they leaned into it. That’s how most meaningful turns happen: not with fanfare, but with a small nudge we notice or let pass.
So notice the nudge. It may not sound like a radio ad. It may be a colleague mentioning a program you’ve never considered, or a quiet thought that won’t leave you alone. Don’t wave it off.
Enjoy your Fall, the best time of the year.
¡Gracias por leer!