Presentation of the

2003 Paul Goodloe McIntire Citizenship Award

by

Michael Gaffney

Immediate Past Chairman,

Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce

at the

2003 Annual Chamber of Commerce Dinner

of the

CHARLOTTESVILLE REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Omni Charlottesville Hotel

Charlottesville, Virginia

November 19, 2003

Thank you Gary. Good evening!

I am pleased to be up here on the podium again.

As immediate Past-Chairman, my charge this year is to Chair the Awards Committee. My final Chamber assignment – perhaps the best assignment of all – is to present to you the recipient of our Chamber’s 2003 Paul Goodloe McIntire Citizenship Award.

I’m sure you’ve looked at the list of previous recipients in tonight’s program. We are thankful for their Past, present and future contributions and dedication to our community. Long after we’re gone, their legacy will remain a testament to the effort everyone of us puts forth to make this the Best Place in America to live.
Our Chamber established the Paul Goodloe McIntire Citizenship Award in 1975 …
“ … to recognize outstanding citizen contributions to the greater Charlottesville area.”

Our Chamber award is named in honor of Paul Goodloe McIntire, “whose good will set a standard of service that others through the years have reached for while helping to weave a fabric of selflessness that continues to provide for our community and its citizens.”

Tonight we recognize another citizen who embodies those key qualities of outstanding citizen contributions.

This year’s recipient was born and grew up right here in Albemarle County. Our recipient was a good student and participated proudly in athletics at Albemarle High.

He (OK, understanding the demographics in our community, we’re down to about 10 people in this room) He went to college in the Commonwealth, but not in Charlottesville– for his undergraduate degree.

He did however have the foresight to earn his Masters Degree at the University of Virginia.

Along the way he courted and married his beautiful, bright, summertime sweetheart. And he’s served as an officer in the United States Army and Army Reserves.

He has built his home, his family, his community and his superlative professional career around the very solid foundation of Mr. Jefferson’s University.
Our 2003 Award recipient is just too bright not to know that we are talking about him (please keep him in the room)– and many of us are also starting to recognize him.

He joined the University in 1967 and over the next 36 years has helped the University of Virginia grow into the #1 Public University in the Country. During this period, he has become the voice and the face of the University in our community and beyond.

What is most amazing about our recipient is not the fact that he oversees operations of all non-academic support areas at the University, including athletics, student affairs, information technology and communication, management and budget, finance, Investments, police, regulatory compliance and in ‘99 assumed responsibility for the financial and managerial oversight of the Health System.
The most amazing thing is that in spite of all the above responsibilities, he personally represents the University in meetings with the City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County, the business community and with the public.

In many University towns across the country, local relations might be assigned to someone along the chain of command. In Charlottesville, we witness executive actions on a daily basis which embody the University’s commitment to our community – in public safety, transportation, education, economic development, parking and planning.

And if you have had the opportunity to work with this gentleman – this Virginia Gentleman – you come to know that his approach is defined by his common-sense, low-key, “just the facts” manner to any task. He comes to the table with so much hands-on, real-world knowledge and wisdom.

There is no job that he won’t do. His closest staff and colleagues know well this statement: “I won’t ask you and I’m not asking you – to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself”

And he knows and constantly reminds others just what makes this university special. “Our people are our most important asset.” This is his guiding principle of management and is always the first consideration in any decision.

At the University – and in our community and beyond – our 2003 McIntire Award recipient is also defined by a keen sense of enterprise; he is an entrepreneur. We know that well at our Chamber. We get to see his commitment to and involvement with our Chamber and so many of our Chamber member enterprises. He is always available, always approachable, always open-minded to new ideas.

He has received the Thomas Jefferson Award, the University’s highest honor for a faculty member which is given to recognize one who exemplifies Mr. Jefferson’s principles and ideals in character, work, and influence.

While he is not a professor at U.Va., he’s as good a teacher – by intellect, manner and example – as Mr. Jefferson ever could have imagined walking the “Grounds.”
This University, our university, which sets and then raises the bar for every one of us – whether we are in education, retail, biotech, construction or public service – causes us all to be better.

Make no mistake, this award goes to this man, and like the men and women who have received the McIntire Award before, is a model citizen and a person who also causes us all to do and be better.

How does he do that?

This gentleman simply goes about his job without any fan-fare, defining the notion of “24/7” – with skill, purpose and grace.

All the while – in his job and in those other moments as husband, father and grandfather, he is always as solid a citizen as our community could ever want.
Despite the Herculean demands of his job, he has shared his time, attention and energy as surely as he shares himself, throughout our community – be it our Chamber, the Charlottesville Albemarle Rescue Squad or his dear Crozet Baptist Church.

Thomas Henry Huxley, born in 1825, once said, "The great end in life is not knowledge – but action." Tonight’s award recipient gives definition to action, to getting things done.

Ladies & Gentlemen – I present to you our 2003 Paul Goodloe McIntire Citizenship Award recipient – Leonard Sandridge!