Friday, December 1, 2006

One of the Best

Dr. Jim Johnson , long-time Senior Manager of the History and Genealogy department, and one of the most respected authorities on genealogical research in the midsouth, is retiring today. It is with fondness that I post this. Jim has been an inspiration to all of us. His calm demeanor, great sense of humor, and passion for his work have made him one of the most effective leaders I have ever worked with.

The loyalty he has engendered in his staff, and the collective sense of mission they all possess is due, in large part to his modeling. Any time I visited the fourth floor, I would see Jim working side by side with his staff, serving the customers. And, what was evident was that he was not doing it out of a sense of duty. Rather, he was enjoying it! He lead and participated. He humbly gave credit for the great work of his department to his staff. He coached and guided them to success. He shared his knowledge and expertise with them. And, he handled change and challenges with equal amounts of patience and humor.

I know that I'll miss him.

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