by Jori Smith, CSI, CDT, LEED AP, Southwest Region President
Former CSI President Robert Johnson, RA, FCSI, Distinguished Member, CCS, CCCA, of the Albuquerque Chapter died last week. In addition to his loving family, he is survived by many, many of the construction professionals who have called CSI their association home. Robert was a one of the greats, and the good work he left behind in the form of standards and formats, certification exams, task teams, advice and encouragement, will be evidence of his presence here for years to come. CSI was lucky to have Robert in our midst.
My own place of employment also lost our elder statesman, Robert Stamm, and I attended his memorial service this week. It was incredibly inspiring to see the hundreds of people gathered to honor this 93 year old scion of the construction industry in our state. Over and over again, speakers mentioned the universities, associations, laws, and charitable foundations that had his fingerprints on them. I was overwhelmed by everything this gentleman had managed to accomplish in his life.
When these sad days happen, we are reminded that it’s rarely our dependability at the workplace that is remembered by those who mourn our passing. The improvements, the advances, and the good we have done – those are the things mentioned. I will be one of the first to admit that Work- Life balance is always difficult. But it clearly is possible to do much more than show up at work, do the job, and go home. Joining a group of like-minded people, willing to gather together to work for the greater good of our industry and our community, is the first step. The next is to raise your hand and volunteer to help. The more people we have contributing, the easier the tasks will be. I hope you are as inspired as I am by the tremendous examples of these two men, and feel challenged to go out into the world tomorrow and help make a difference.