U.S. Chamber Chair Shares The Power of One
November 29th, 2007By Marijean Jaggers
Last night I attended the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 94th Annual Dinner and Meeting. The keynote speaker was Paul Speranza, Jr., chairman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and vice chairman, general counsel and secretary of Wegman’s Food Markets.
Wegman’s ranked number two on Fortune’s list of 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2006. They were number one in the large companies category and have ranked in the top three for the past three years.
Speranza talked about his involvement with the U.S. Chamber, about his impressions on his first visit to Charlottesville, about successful programs that help keep Wegman’s employees happy and healthy, but his main message focused on his belief in the “power of one.”
Each one of us has the power to make a difference, he said. Everyone has the ability to come forward and say, I’d like to help; what can I do? And when one person steps forward and begins to give back, to create change for the better, inspiration occurs, and others follow.
There were 450 “ones” in the audience. As I looked around the room I saw many faces I recognized; people I connect with not only local businesses, but local causes. I was surrounded with people who use their “power of one” every day, working for the local economy, caring for our people, educating our students and providing services valuable to businesses and individuals.
It made me very proud to be one of the people that represent this great community.
