We've also had the opportunity to work with Dr. Long for six years. We've seen him grow professionally. I have the utmost confidence that Dr. Long is the right choice for this job.

We conducted a couple of regional and nationwide searches a few years ago. The problem is you get to meet someone, but you really don't get to know somebody.

(Dr. Long) has assured us that educational leadership has to be a top priority. It is our priority. We believe it is his priority. I hope that we can embrace this choice.

I believe that a year from now we will be discussing the same level of confidence we have here tonight, and the community will feel the choice was a good one, as does this board.

Before I ever knew what the word Entrepeneur was, I realized in America and in the Western part of the world in general, you are given the opportunity to be whatever you want to be. And that is all anyone should ever expect from the Capitalist system. The rest is up to you.

It's up to you to educate yourself.

It's up to you to learn speaking skills and people skills.

It's up to you to try (and usually fail, but to try again) all sorts of ventures.

The rest is a combination of hard work, being at the right place ...at the right time...with the right thing...oh yes...and more (never ending) hard work.

It's kind of weird that it takes something like this to have such an opportunity to speak to so many people who can make a difference,