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Having the courage to look at the truth

“Face the brutal facts.” That is a lesson Jim Collins included in his book “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t.” This book continues to provide an excellent blueprint for any organization that wants to be great. Sometimes the work a company is doing is good; it’s just not enough to achieve the desired goal. It takes courage to look at the brutal facts—about performance issues, market challenges, or other uncomfortable data or insights. It can be discouraging.  I was meeting with my leader on a project I was leading. He asked me for the ...

What’s always made America great

This week as we celebrate Veterans Day, I hope we will not fail to remember that our nation has depended upon soldiers from many different ethnic backgrounds and traditions. I was unhappy to read in The Inter-Mountain that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has erased images of women and minorities from the Department of Defense website. Most notable was Milton L. Oliver III, a soldier who saved his platoon in Vietnam by smothering a grenade. He was the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor in 1965. We are so fortunate to have citizens like Milton Oliver who have the ...

Political crossroads

Donald Trump and the movement he founded, MAGA, have come to a political crossroads. The government shutdown exposed the fissures within the so-called “Populist” movement. Far from representing a new style of voice in the American political system, MAGA is revealed to be an all-too-familiar faction within the Republican Party. Despite campaign ballyhoo in 2024, which promised to protect essential services, the Trump administration has produced a crazy-quilt collection of traditional far-right stances—tax cuts for billionaires and deep cuts for MAGA constituents. Despite ...

Art of the possible

Otto von Bismarck dubbed politics, including diplomacy, the “art of the possible.” During his trip to Asia, President Donald Trump was rudely reminded of this axiom. At the outset of the trip, he was determined to impress his hosts with America’s strength, only to be reminded of America’s limitations. Particularly with the People’s Republic of China, with its great quantity of “rare earth” minerals, supplying key ingredients that power the world economy. He agreed to lower Chinese tariffs by 10%, and the PRC offered to buy American soybeans. Overall, Xi Jinping ...

Heartfelt gratitude

Thomas Merton wrote, “To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything.” The older I become, the wiser these words seem. Now in the tenth year of my presidency at Davis & Elkins College, I ask your indulgence for a personal reflection in this edition of my “Reflecting Along the Journey” column. As we prepare for the uniquely American holiday of Thanksgiving, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the honor and privilege of serving as the 15th president of D&E. The journey Lisa and I have shared with our many friends and acquaintances who are part of the ...

Interim meetings are important

November legislative interim meetings began Sunday at Pipestem Resort State Park near Hinton in Summers County, continuing today and wrapping up Tuesday. This is the second time lawmakers have traveled for interims, with the Legislature holding interim meetings at Stonewall Resort near Roanoke in Lewis County. It’s part of the Legislature’s efforts to travel to different parts of the state and learn more about the unique regions in West Virginia. While West Virginia is unfortunately stereotyped as one image of the hillbilly, we know that our communities are vastly different and ...