Thank You, Pam

It's easy to remember many of the reasons Pam was so appreciated during my tenure with Kaiser from 1982 to 2000.  She was the epitome of competence.  A jack of all trades.  A calming influence.  The adult in the room among prima donnas.  The ultimate loyalist, putting the firm first and rarely if ever voicing her own needs.  A self-starter and self-manager: I often told her I could tell how great a job she was doing by how little I heard from her.  100% reliable -- I can't ever remember her calling in sick, or missing a meeting or deadline.  The firm's de facto accountant and CFO, without a CPA or MBA.  Steady, smart, mature, humble, fun -- all those words come to mind when I think of Pam in those days.

But when I dig deep and try to get to the core, the one thing among things, that we most valued in Pam, it was her pure, absolute decency.  She didn't have a mean, or jealous, or angry cell in her body or mind:  She genuinely liked everyone she encountered inside and outside of the firm, rooted for them, tried to help them succeed, and empathized with them whether they succeeded or failed.  If I try hard, I can think of others I've met in my 39 years in business who matched Pam in some of her other traits, but when it comes to her fundamentally decent humanity, Pam remains alone at the top of the list.  Pam, may that decency serve you, your loved ones, and everyone you encounter in your retirement as well as it served us at Kaiser -- you've earned it, and you deserve it. 

-- Bob

BOB FIFER