I flew up from Oaxaca so I could celebrate the many achievements of one of our high school classmates, Paul S. Grogan. I, along with many of Boston's illustrious civic and political leaders, was there to hear from Paul and his co-author, Cathy Merchant, as he released a memoir, "Be prepared to be lucky."
Our Clinton Central School (NY) classmate, from the mighty class of 1968, as the head of The Boston Foundation, has been so important to the growth and revitalization of Boston and in developing a blueprint for action that was adopted by over 700 public/private foundations across the nation. Ms. Merchant was the CEO of the Cincinnati foundation and spoke to how Paul had been the initiator and driving force in advancing policies that engaged various governmental and private sectors to make all of our lives better. The moderator, Robert Lewis, Jr., is also a mover and shaker, known as a catalyst for collaboration between diverse
business, civic and public sectors and a tireless advocate for urban
youth.
Paul worked closely with many of Boston's mayors during his thirty years of service and many people wanted him to follow in their footsteps, but he chose a different path and his achievements are legendary. Really, he was a key figure in making Boston the city it is today.... and Boston is really a remarkable city on so many levels.
I, true to form, had to rise to say that our class knew he would be a game-changer, as we were all there when he was the very first person to ever dunk a basketball at our small school. It was the 60's and it was still illegal to dunk during a game, so he did it warmups. We all went crazy, one of my sweetest school memories. And all the CEO, presidents, heavy hitters and power brokers loved hearing the story. He went on to lead such a remarkable and productive life, a positive and driving force in making so many people's lives better. Much love and respect... and so proud of what a boy from a small town in Upstate NY has achieved.
