Parking September 2010 - 17

Government, Institutional  and Non-Profit Corner Robert Baer
Back to the Grind
If you have noticed lately, traffic is a little heavier for your morning and afternoon commutes. If you are paying attention, you will notice the school buses are out and back on their routes. Soon the days will be shorter and the nights will be longer. It is the time of year that we put aside vacation plans and weekend barbecues for a good routine that will help to get us through the doldrums of the winter months. My thoughts for this column came together as I watched the Cincinnati Reds lose their fourth straight game heading into Major League Baseball’s All Star break. The Reds have been having a good season, leading the National League in many offensive categories, and enjoying a first place standing in the Central Division. The All Star break could not come at a better time for the Reds; hopefully, they will take this break to heart and be looking forward to the playoffs by the time you are reading this. It does not matter if you are losing or winning; we all need a break from our routine on occasion. The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints started their break with a celebratory parade through downtown New Orleans before visiting the president at the White House. Drew Brees then released his memoirs while Ochocinco danced and dated away his vacation after his team swept their division to become AFC North champions. The signs that summer is about to end are all around us. Football season is in full swing, the soccer fields are all occupied on the weekends, students are back to work in their classrooms and doctors are back to work preparing for the next unpredictable flu season. Labor Day, the first Monday in September and a U.S. and Canadian holiday in recognition of working people, is upon us. This holiday marks the end of this rejuvenation period and a time to return our focus to our work. It is also not too late to make your plans and reservations for the National Parking Association’s 59th Annual Convention and Exposition, to be held Oct. 11–14 at the Seaport Hotel/World Trade Center in Boston. Please make a note that our annual GINP meeting will take place on the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 13, and we hope to see all of you there. Visit www.npapark.org for additional details. Whether you are a professional athlete, a hospital or university employee, a parking attendant in a city garage, or just one of our vendors that serves our industry so well, I hope you had a safe, relaxing summer. Now, get back to the grind! 
Robert Baer is director of Parking and Transportation at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and represents the Government, Institutional and Non-Profit Division on NPA’s Executive Committee. He can be reached at robert.baer@cchmc.org.

Marketing Minute Continued...
project was installed the way I suggested that it should be done, before he hired the outside consultant, without any issues at all. He never apologized or even so much as commented on the events of that afternoon. Greg had an issue with respect. He placed himself on some pedestal that was unwarranted and unrealistic. He was made the same as you and me. The woman who serves me a Starbucks in the morning deserves all the attention and respect that I am worthy of receiving. The welder beside me on the plane, it turns out, besides earning a living with his training, also uses his welding skills to create incredible Gothic art sculptures. When I showed an interest and respect for him, which he often didn’t get, he was excited to pull out his folder that had pictures of his award winning life-sized sculptures. A Michelangelo in the making! The next time you are tempted to disrespect or quickly judge someone you work with or come to meet by chance, take the time to find out what is truly special about that person. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and I’m certain they will be too. 
Jeff Pinyot is founder and vice president of business development of ECO Parking Lights. He can be reached at jspinyot@ECOParkingLights.com.
www.npapark.org PARKING September 2010

Parking September 2010

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