From Jane Vandecar 1960 AHS Alumna
to: info (at) amesweb (dot) com AHSAA
November 3, 2006

 

Hello AHS Alumni

AHS 1960 Alumnus Gary Sutton spoke, November 3, 2006 to CEO Netweavers in Dallas, TX. See Gary's introduction below given by fellow AHS 1960 Alumna Jane Vandecar.

click to enlarge

1960 AHS Alumni Jane Vandecar
& Gary Sutton at CEO Netweavers

Good morning!

It’s always nice to be here with all of you! I didn’t feel that way, however, when the alarm went off this morning!

I’m introducing your speaker today because he is a high school classmate of mine!

I can give you information about him that you won‘t find on the cover of his books!

We graduated from Ames High School in Ames, Iowa – the home of Iowa State University. Our motto, of course, was Ames Hi Aims High! Gary, being exceptionally intelligent, realized that you can get higher if you start lower.

So – he was the only merit scholar in Iowa to graduate in the lower half of his class.

He was thrown off the football team for bad behavior.

He was expelled from school for cutting class.

He was every teacher’s worst nightmare – the class prankster and troublemaker.

Many substitute teachers fled the classroom in tears!

By his own admission, the principle and superintendent got together to try to figure out how to deny him his diploma. In the end, of course, they didn’t want him around any longer, so he got to graduate!

Ames High was a pretty typical small town mid-western high school. Graduates ranged from Pulitzer Prize winners to serial killers. The serial killer actually worked for Gary at one time. I don’t know if part of his speech this morning is about how to hire the right people, but you might keep this in mind!

Things about Gary that you will find on his book covers are nicer. Gary’s a turn-around CEO. He’s run printing, software, retail advertising, aerospace, garbage, burgler alarm, satellite telecom, and data storage businesses. He’s also chaired a private college. He’s written business books and he lectures around the country. He and his wife live in La Jolla.

Thank you, Gary, for coming to Dallas to speak to CEO Netweavers!

 

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