I know Valentine’s Day, with its trademark heart-shaped chocolates and bright red roses, is traditionally reserved for romance. I’d like to reframe the narrative. What if we all took the time to show a little extra love to those other people in our life—our coworkers, suppliers, customers, friends and family? How about the person you see each week for your mocha latte? Or the cashier at the grocery store? Maybe your children’s teachers or coaches? Why don’t we start thinking about Valentine’s Day as a day of appreciation? A day we recognize how grateful we are for all the people in our lives who simply make our days better.
I am grateful to my AME family. We’ve already accomplished so much since the start of the new year. We hosted our first joint event with the Virginia Baldrige SPQA program on cultural diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. I want to thank all those who gained and contributed valuable insights to the discussion. I am grateful to everyone who continues to make AME and our respective organizations places where DEI flourishes and every voice matters.
This year, we’ve connected with many organizations interested in applying for the AME Excellence Award. We have countless more regional events in store, including two national summits, all leading up to AME's 39th annual international conference in Cleveland this October.
The dedication and collaborative spirit our members and volunteers bring to the table enable AME’s work and thought leadership to constantly expand and reach new audiences. All of us share a collective love for problem-solving, lean thinking and people-centric leadership. We improve existing processes to make life better for those around us. We show our love and respect for our colleagues by helping make things better, easier and more collaborative and by listening to and respecting each other.
For this reason, I am using Valentine’s Day this year to let every one of you know you’re an important part of AME’s family, and I am always honored to serve you. With much love, happy Valentine’s Day.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.
