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TBT: 10 Years as President!

06.26.2014 | HMMH |

I was desperately looking for photos for our TBT post today, and stumbled across these – which reminded me that I have been President of HMMH now for 10 years! (The official anniversary is July 1, but since we’re at the final stages of our fiscal year, I’m calling it close enough.)

Here’s the official transfer from Nick to me (with Bob looking on):

Mary Ellen Eagan, Nick Miller, June 2004

And presentation of the ‘HMMH Box of Presidents’ Wisdom’, which includes plaques with the following quotes:

Nick Miller

“Life is either an adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller (by Andy Harris, HMMH Founder and President 1981-1989) and

“Quality is the perfect balancing of the qualitative and the quantitative, of the feeling and the thinking sides of our nature, of humanism and logic. Strive for that balance – do not be driven by one side alone.” – Nick Miller, HMMH Founder and President, 1989-2004

I also found “The Speech” I gave that day, and find that much of it still rings true: HMMH’s vision and values drive my decision-making; I still rely heavily on my “Personal Board of Directors” (who were present that day and are still close friends and mentors); and my life is still about constant triage – only now the kids are older and the balance is even more difficult (and they’re lecturing me to “engage, Mummy”). It has been an interesting decade, full of ups and downs – the excitement of winning big projects; a new DC office; the pleasure of making new long-time friendships – and the sadness of losing some; managing through the worst recession in the history of the US; and the challenge of dealing with all the big and small dramas we face daily. It hasn’t always been a pleasure – and I now have a lot of gray hair – but I can’t imagine having spent the last ten years in any more rewarding way.

Bob Miller, Nick Miller, Carl Hanson

David Senzig, Gene Reindel, Andy Harris, Kate Culhane, Chris Rossano, Dick Horonjeff, Mary Ellen Eagan, Molly Senzig, Phil Abbot, Cathy Abbot, Betty Desrosiers

Mary Ellen, Betty Desrosiers (holding Greta), Liz Levin