FROM THE CHAIRMAN

by Michael Gregory, M.D., Chairman

Who Am I?

April 30, 2010

Who are you? I remember being asked this question by someone for whom I have tremendous respect. Throughout high school, college, and medical school, I can’t remember being asked a tougher question. As someone who trusts me with the reigns of Apogee, you, more than anyone, deserve an answer to this question. So here goes....

I am what I believe in. I believe in family, friendship, faith, and America. While that may seem like a cliche, please allow me to elaborate.

Family: These are the people whom you hold dear, the people in whom you instill your greatest trust. Family are those people, regardless of relation, whom you can count on, the people who place your interests above their own. You can choose your friends; however, your family is left entirely up to God. My guess is that if you look around you, God has chosen wisely.

Friendship: Not an endeared quality but an earned privilege. Friendship, unlike family, is largely without a duty of obligation, at least initially. Real friendship is obligation. Think about it. Caring about another is an obligation to someone else. Living this obligation is a privilege that we measure by the number of people who call us friend.

Faith: Is not a belief but a commitment to something that is greater than yourself, something that takes on greater meaning than your own life. It is dedication, principle, and most of all, conviction.

America: More than Mom and apple pie, America is an idea, that I can be who I want to be, that individuals are important. Individuals, not policy, change the world. Most importantly, what I do matters.

Regrettably, Apogee cannot live these values. Only you and I can. Who we are is entirely up to us individually.

Who are you?

It is what you bring to the table every day of your life. I have no idea what life holds for you, but I promise you this: If you treasure family, friendship, faith, and America, you will be successful beyond your wildest dreams. Then, when you finally pass from this world, you will have left it a better place than you found it.

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