Thank you, Chancellor Gow, for those kind words of introduction. On behalf of all CBA Alumni, I would like to formally welcome you as the 10th Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. We look forward to working with you as you lead this great institution toeven greater heights in the years ahead.

I would also like to congratulate CBA Interim Dean Bruce May and Interim Provost Bill Colclough on their recent appointments. Under Bill Colclough’s leadership the past 7 years, the College of Business Administration has made great strides. It is recognized as a premier institution whose graduates are highly respected and heavily recruited by employers from around the county. Thank you, Bill, for your vision and leadership.

I would like to welcome everyone to Commencement Day 2007 here on the beautiful campus of UW-L. Welcome, accomplished graduates; welcome, proud parents and spouses; welcome, supportive family members and friends; and welcome, distinguished faculty.

I want to be one of the first to congratulate each of you on earning your degree from this prestigious University. Take pride in what you have accomplished and remember to take a moment to thank those who helped you along the way, especially your parents. This is a very special and proud day for them as well.

It’s hard for me to believe it's been 35 years since I stood in this very stadium ready to receive my diploma. I can assure you that back then I never thought I would be delivering a commencement speech at a UW-L graduation ceremony, especially given the fact that I wasn’t your typical 4.0 student. So, needless to say, I feel extremely honored and privileged to be speaking here today.

One definition of commencement is to start or begin a journey. That is exactly what you will be doing when you leave here today. As a graduate of the College of Business Administration, you will be starting on a new journey in pursuit of an exciting career in business. That journey is what I want to focus my comments on today.

As I was preparing my remarks, I thought it might be interesting to ask my son Casey, who graduated from St. Thomas University in 2006, what he thought was on the minds of graduating college seniors. He told me that most seniors had questions and concerns about the uncertainty of their future.

What kind of job will I land? Where will I live? How much will I be paid? Will I like the work I have chosen? Will there be a clear path to advancement? I suspect that many of you are asking these very same questions today.

Well, today I want to share with you a few highlights of my unpredictable journey through the world of business. Hopefully after hearing my story you will gain some added assurance that whatever unknown direction your career takes, you will be highly successful if you are both patient and persistent.

My career path actually started during my college days at LSU, La Crosse State University, as it was called then. During my Junior and Senior years I worked fulltime as a locomotive engineer on what was then the Burlington Northern Railroad. The money was good, actually about twice as much as a college grad in business would make just out of school. So after graduation I made the decision to continue working on the railroad, not even bothering to interview for a job. Not a course of action that I would recommend to any of you today.

After college I felt a little guilty about not using my business degree, so I pursued several business-related opportunities outside of my job on the railroad. I became a licensed Wisconsin realtor, a licensed Wisconsin Assessor, and I even ran for political office, winning a seat on the La Crosse County board in 1976.

All of these experiences would ultimately be of great benefit to me in my future career as a contractor and developer.

The year of 1973 marked the beginning of my career in construction. I bought an older fixer-upper-type home in La Crosse which I began to extensively remodel with my wife Beth. At that time I knew absolutely nothing about construction. In fact my knowledge was so limited that I actually had to rely on sales clerks at Menard’s for advice on the various means and methods of construction. I had no idea this remodeling project would be the beginning of a life-long career in the construction field.

After completing that first remodeling project, I discovered I did, in fact, have a passion for construction, so I decided to take on the challenge of building a new home from the ground up. Not having enough cash, experience, or confidence to tackle this project myself, I asked my life-long friend, Jeff Towner, to be my partner. He agreed and together we formed a partnership under the name Town and Country Construction.

With a $200.00 down payment the two of us secured a residential lot in Onalaska and somehow managed to talk a local banker into giving us a construction loan. Acting as general contractors we successfully built our house, put it up for sale, and sold it to the very first couple who walked through the door. This construction thing seemed way too easy. Inspired by our first taste of success, we made a decision to shift our emphasis from residential to commercial-type construction. For the next several months we struggled unsuccessfully to land a commercial project. With no real track record, limited expertise, and no remaining working capital, things did not look good. Finally, just when we were ready to fold the tent, we were awarded contracts for two small commercial projects. These contracts came just in the nick of time and provided us with just enough cash flow to keep our fledging construction business alive.

Since those early start-up days almost 30 years ago, TCI has evolved into a mid size corporation focused on designing, building, and developing commercial, industrial, and institutional projects throughout the upper Midwest. We have a dedicated team of 150 very talented design and construction professionals, of which four are CBA grads. And, after all these years I am proud to say that Jeff Towner is still my partner and close friend. Who says partnerships don’t work?

I have obviously been extremely fortunate in life and have succeeded far beyond my expectations. My journey was absolutely unpredictable 35 years ago. That is truly the beauty of a career in business. Unlike other fields of study such as education or medicine where career paths are fairly predictable, a degree in business will allow you to pursue a multitude of career choices that will both challenge and reward you in ways you can’t imagine.

So today as you sit here pondering what the future holds in store for you, be confident that you are entering a field that will offer abundant opportunities for success. Earning a degree from UW-L is only the first step in your journey to a successful business career.If you apply the same skills and disciplines learned here at UW-L, you will be successful in whatever aspect of business you pursue.

I would like to take the rest of my time to share with you some of the principles that have helped me shape my career. Hopefully, these principals can provide you with some guidance as you begin your careers.

1. Keep a positive attitude and remain confident about your chances for success especially when things aren’t going well. Remember, when one door closes another door will always open. Visualize your success. It’s a very powerful practice.
2. Live a balanced life-style. It’s paramount to real success. Pay attention to family. After all, that’s what really matters in life. Stay physically active, participate in a hobby or a sport. Be strong in your faith and remain spiritually connected.
3. Be a life-time learner. Your education does not end today. Take advantage of continuing educational opportunities offered by your employer, attend industry seminars, and learn as much as you can about as many things as you can on your own. You may have to reinvent yourself several times during your career. Having a broad base of knowledge and understanding can be a tremendous asset in adapting to change.
4. Give something back. Be a volunteer. You will gain much more than you ever give, and you will meet some of the best people in the world as a volunteer.
5. Build a network. Go out of your way to meet people from all stations in life. Remember everyone in this world has something to offer, and there is much to learn from all different types of people. Use technology to the fullest, but never rely on it to build relationships. The old saying of, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” still holds true in business today. Building a network of reliable friends and business associates is essential.
6. Be passionate about your work. If you are passionate about your work, people will seek you out and recognize you as a ”go to” person. If you can’t be passionate about your work, take a hard look at your situation and consider a change. It is impossible to be successful without passion.

As you leave here today, I encourage you to dream big, work hard, and be confident in knowing that you will accomplish much more than you can ever imagine today. I wish all of you good fortune and much success as you begin your life’s work.

Thank you, good luck, and God bless.