Craig Wood
GAWDA President 2012-2013
O.E. Meyer Company
Obviously, this is a very special year for our entire family at the 2024 Annual Convention. It’s an honor to have this opportunity to share my thoughts as one of a long list of Past Presidents who have unselfishly served in this role.
Back in 1997, Rod Belden and I made a trip to Wisconsin, hosted by Bill Higley on a fact-finding mission, while we were preparing to break ground on a new facility. We spent a couple of days with Bill. He was clearly instrumental in our master plan! As he was taking us back to the airport, he started a discussion with me about getting more involved with GAWDA. He suggested that I consider getting in line to move through the chairs. Of course, Rod, who was riding in the back seat, agreed whole-heartedly with Bill. Just what I needed, two guys, whom I thought the world of, trying to convince me to give it more thought. It only took me about 30 seconds to respond that the time was not right. I respectfully declined the opportunity.
Sometime later, the governing body of GAWDA grew more concerned with the actions of the independent management company who was managing the association at the time. Eventually, the relationship reached the point of no return, which required immediate action. Given our strong relationship with AWS, Ray Shook offered support to help GAWDA bridge the management gap. About the same time, past president Britt Lovin again approached me to get involved and this time, for me, the time was right. A couple of years later, John Ospina and I interviewed three potential candidates to lead our association. Following those interviews, I began to question why we are doing this, given the support AWS had provided GAWDA. With Ray’s support, and that of Ned Pontius, Tom Biedermann, and the board, we made the move to self-manage our organization.
As we all know, there is nothing more constant about change than change itself. GAWDA has always faced these challenges head-on and with resiliency and found ways to transform those challenges into opportunities. Whether they be industry consolidation, the Internet, recessions or supply chain issues, it’s in our DNA to find our way to continued success!
I would like to take the liberty to share my thoughts about our organization. I believe strongly that the past, present and future success of our organization rests with our members. You are all solid individuals with a real passion for our association. To whatever extent your comfort level is, get involved. “Go for it!” You will be so amazed at what you get in return! I promise, you will never regret your involvement, because you will expand your business relationships and create lasting friendships that will stay with you for the rest of your life and are priceless!
I would like to share some closing comments. First, I would like to thank John Ospina and the entire team for their unwavering support for our organization. From the audience, you simply have no idea how hard these folks work to meet the expectations.
I would also like to commend Gary Halter for both his personal and professional accomplishments throughout his career. Gary’s commitment to GAWDA has been unwavering from the beginning and his year as president was no exception! I’ve known Gary for more than 25 years and what you see is what you get! Folks, you saw it for yourself, Gary had an incredible year leading GAWDA, and I am very proud to share that he is one of those priceless lifelong friends that I will treasure for eternity.
My final thoughts are those of a very proud father. As a young man, Eric had mentioned to his mom that he didn’t want to follow in his dad’s footsteps. He wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. After his sophomore year of college, he worked at a cattle meat processing plant for the summer. Guess what, the next year he was painting cylinders at O.E. Meyer! With his last name, he knew he had to work harder to earn the respect of his peers. It has become part of his DNA, and his results speak for themselves.
Your entire family is very proud of you as our son, husband, father and uncle and now soon to be the next President of GAWDA!
This is a new column where former NWSA and GAWDA presidents reflect on their time as President of the association also let readers know what they have been up to since their time as President.
