5. It provides a safe space for personal reflection. 4. "No, honey, this is not a 'little getaway' weekend. We are really working on personal development as we attend sessions." 3. Cards Against Humanity. Wow, we really can go from being mad at each other to laughing it off! 2. Borrow and adapt the critical… Continue reading Top 5 Ways VALOR Helps Relationships
Change: Bad to Good, Good to Good
VALOR is an enabling experience! The hands-on experiences of oystering and crabbing in the Northern Neck was fabulous. Although I live in the Northern Neck, it was my first time being out in the Chesapeake Bay. The recent Southside Sessions exposed me to the wonderful opportunities in timber harvesting (don't believe me, ask Carl Parsons!).… Continue reading Change: Bad to Good, Good to Good
Producer, Manager, Leader
Personal Musings On My Career Growth Early in my career I produced stuff. My role was clear. Produce a deliverable. On time and under budget. Yes, ma’am! As others recognized my growing expertise and experience, I was promoted to manager. My role was clear again. Juggle the demands of my producer role, while directing the… Continue reading Producer, Manager, Leader
Less Is More
A visit to Ingleside Winery
Better is Better
On the first day of our seminar in the Northern Neck, we found ourselves at Ingleside Vineyards. The first vines were planted in the late 1970s with the first commercial harvest in 1980. This makes Ingleside Vineyards is one of the oldest vineyards in Virginia. We had the pleasure to speak with Doug Flemer, whose… Continue reading Better is Better
Getting Crabby
Y'all, we got crabby. I mean full-on, fish guts out, pinchers up, blue-complexioned crabby. And it was awesome! We were privileged to spend just over 24-hours with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Our adventure began, conveniently after lunch, by ripping Menhaden fish in half, guts and all, for crab bait. We were down and dirty right off… Continue reading Getting Crabby
Southwest Virginia
Our look into agriculture during our sixth VALOR seminar in rural Southwest Virginia continues to showcase Virginia’s agricultural diversity. We had the pleasure of visiting with Kevin Beamer at Virginia Produce Company, a family owned business, in Hillsville, VA. Virginia Produce Company sources produce from farmers along the east coast, packages the produce, and distributes… Continue reading Southwest Virginia
Merrior
It’s a bit stunning to me that VALOR III is more than half way through our leadership development program. Although I’ve found the time commitment challenging at times, I’m not looking forward to the day that it ends. I continue to get a great deal from each session: new information on Virginia’s diverse agricultural industry,… Continue reading Merrior
The Healthcare Line
I’m looking for a line. Can you tell me where it is? It’s the one that separates the basic healthcare rights our U.S. government feels responsible to its citizens for and which ones they say, “You’re on your own, buddy.” A lot of countries apparently don’t have a line. If you’re in Sweden, Australia, Great… Continue reading The Healthcare Line
Harvesting Goodness
Jason Von Kundra shows off the Harvest Table farm's onions and sunflowers. Photo credit: Lindsay Smith Recently, the Class III Fellows visited southwest Virginia and thankfully for us, the Harvest Table Restaurant is conveniently located in this part of the world that I like to call "God's country." The… Continue reading Harvesting Goodness
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