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August 11, 2005
Networking, Part II
I think I'm the first of the bloggers to make it to Nashville, as I'm all comfy-cozy in my Opryland hotel room.
I wasn't initially going to use the term networking, preferring the term “conversation.” I want to encourage everyone attending to have a real conversation with at least two people they don’t know every day they’re here. Here’s my first one.
On the ride from the airport in an Opryland “shuttle” (actually a full-size bus), it was me and one other person. That other person happened to be Gene Fondren, chair of ASAE in 1991-92 and executive director of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association for 32 years before retiring early last year.
Always on the lookout for a story idea – for the blog or the new magazine or wherever we can use it – I asked Gene if he had any advice for someone about to retire. Gene is a lawyer and has proven his dedication to his members by doing a bit of pro bono legal work for them since his retirement.
“I think the biggest thing that surprised me was not having a staff any more,” he said, noting that TADA had a staff of 30-something when he was there. “You really come to rely on them for a lot of things that you just don’t think about – from getting organized to finding out information for you. It took some adjustment.”
So there you have it. And for those readers who know Gene, here’s a tidbit that might help you get to know him better. He’s especially excited to be here at Nashville because he’s a huge country-western music fan. In fact, he paid his way through law school spinning records for a country music station. “Patsy Cline. I believe she had the finest female voice ever,” he said. “There hasn’t been anyone like her since.”
Posted by ScottBriscoe at August 11, 2005 04:09 PM
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