Fittingly, Janet, one of my very best friends, was seated next to me. In the late 70s in Houston, I was sent to an SMPS luncheon meeting by my boss at a local design/dealership, where I was working in business development. As I had few qualifications for the job and no training, my employer hoped I might learn something. Listening to the program and watching Janet in action, I was in awe. She was going to be my new friend, she just didn't know it yet. I followed her to the ladies' room after the meeting and suggested that we get together again, maybe over lunch. It was one of my best decisions ever.

Over the next few years, we worked with a core group of like-minded to create meaningful programs that attracted a cross-section of A/E/C marketers as well as firm leaders. We earned the support of our firms and a reputation for knowing how to build a chapter. With Janet at my side, I attended SMPS conventions in New Orleans, Las Vegas, and Toronto, meeting remarkable, inspiring marketers from around the country. A few years later, when I was serving as the president of the Houston Chapter, Janet convinced me to run for national president. Of course, she was the likely candidate with more experience and recognition, but she preferred to orchestrate behind the scenes. No one was more surprised than me when I won.

Since it has been several years since I last attended a meeting, taught a seminar, or wrote an article, I was flattered by the generous recognition we received that night as we shared our stories with the members. All of us at our table—past presidents, Marketing Achievement Award winners, Fellows of the Society—contributed in multiple ways to the success of SMPS. We hadn't done it for praise or honor but for the chance to contribute. While we worked hard, it was the organization that gave us a profession, a platform for our ideas, and the opportunity to serve something far bigger than the last project or the next assignment. And SMPS continues to do the same for its now nearly 7,500 members.

The next day, as we walked the halls of the JW Marriott, we were thanked and hugged by friends and strangers. Celebrated! Who knew it would be so rewarding to be an emeritus?