Orlando Chapter Receives Associate Fellow Recognition
By Mike Murray, Past Chapter President
The Orlando Central Florida Chapter was recently selected to receive honorary Associate Fellow recognition! That’s right, even though Mike Murray’s name appears on the award plaque, the Chapter was indeed selected.
I will never forget the feeling of outright panic that jarred my body when W.C. Wiese looked me straight in the eyes and said, “I’ll be the president if you’ll be the vice president.” With W.C. and Dan Voss silently staring at me, what could I possibly say other than, “Uhhh…hmmm…well…I guess so.” I had already looked for an escape route – there wasn’t one. I was trapped! I recall an “emergency” meeting in the Lockheed Martin cafeteria with Dan Voss. “What the heck do I do now?” He wasn’t much help. To shorten this story I did indeed become the Vice President and was soon thrown into what felt like the lions’ den.
To shorten this story even further, what I hadn’t considered was just how talented and dedicated out chapter members are. I quickly identified the best of the best and surrounded myself with outstanding people. The result was our first three Community of Distinction awards. The award application form asks for many, many things that no one person can ever hope to accomplish – it takes the whole chapter. When you find a chapter like Orlando Central Florida that has a handful of STC Fellows, you know that chapter has an exceptional group of members.
The people who surrounded me during my three-year presidency, along with the rest of the chapter members, really made me look good. That’s why I accept this honor on behalf of each and every member. Congratulations, everyone!