Andrew's Retirement Speech

It’s good to see you all here. Even though I know that some of you are just here for the free food.

When I started this company forty years ago, I never imagined we would accomplish as much as we have. My partner Sarah and I started this company to combat global warming. Remember when that was still the hot issue?

Since then, we have made so much progress. I started out as our chief architect, Sarah started out as our chief artist, and Bobby over there took care of the business side of things, and John Fletcher, who is unfortunately no longer with us, gave us the capital we needed to get started. What visionaries we were.

I’ll never forget the day we got our first huge contract, from my hometown, Washington DC. We were to completely redesign their school facilities. Us – a small startup green architecture company – we were to design over a hundred energy-efficient buildings. They even let us install solar-panels on the roofs – something we had dreamed of but had never imagined that any contractor would let us do. Our company’s size multiplied by at least ten times in that year – We hired Sandra, our head lawyer, who has since saved our company countless times. We found Joe, one of the brightest kids I have ever met, who will soon be assuming my job.

I can’t continue this speech any further without mentioning my mother and father, and what influences they had for me – raising me in my liberal-hippie household, encouraging me along this journey. My mom was convinced I would switch my major from engineering when I went into college, and she was right. I don’t know, however, if she anticipated me switching back. My father, always the optimist, seemed to believe I would excel at whatever I would do, no matter how unrealistic the goals I set for myself were.

We all felt so good about what we were doing – not only did I enjoy my job, but I really felt like I was making a difference. Environmental organizations would frequently endorse us, which was a spectacular feeling. Eventually, some competitors tried to employ some of our ideas into their work, and I could not have been happier. Sure, I loved making money, but I loved even more that we were making such a difference that others were following in our lead.

Some people have asked me why I never assumed the role of president in this company. I must make it clear to everyone that being president never appealed to me. I was perfectly happy being the head architect. I felt like a family, not a network of employees.

Thus, I conclude my career as Chief Architect at Green Horizons. Thank you Sarah, for sticking with me in this dream. Thank you Joe, for doing what you do so well. I will continue to remain on our board of directors, but, to be honest, I’m really going to enjoy my free time. You can be sure that I will still show up at company events and act like the life of the party.

So, as I say my thanks, I want you all to know that I am not saying goodbye. In fact, you may not even notice any shift in my presence for awhile. You have all been great to work with, and I cannot have imagined a more desirable way to have lead my adult life.