Give Me Tomorrow

PRESIDENT’S FAREWELL BY JOSEPH M. VALENZANO, JR.

The best thing that has happened to me in my life has been the privilege and honor of serving as the President, CEO and Publisher of Exceptional Parent. Nothing I have done in my life compares to serving the families caring for children and adults with disabilities and special health care needs.

Geoffrey Chaucer in the 1380s penned an oft-used phrase in his poem Troilus & Criseyde set in the backdrop of the Siege of Troy. He wrote, “All good things must come to an end.” In the 636 years since those words were written, they ring true today. Well, the best thing that has happened to me in my life has been the privilege and honor of serving as the President, CEO and Publisher of epWorld, Inc. a/k/a Exceptional Parent magazine. Nothing I have done in my life whether on the athletic field or in the boardroom compares even remotely to the opportunity I have had to serve the families caring for children and adults with disabilities and special health care needs.

presmessageHowever, in keeping with that age-old phrase, on November 2, 2016 I have turned over the reins of Exceptional Parent to Len Harac as President, CEO & Publisher. Len comes to EP with years of experience in publishing and marketing and values the mission of our 45-year-old company.

After almost 25 years at the helm, and at age 71, I came to the conclusion that the “twilight is here” and it is time to find a way to spend more time with my wife of 46 years and now seven grandchildren, soon to be eight in April. I have had some health setbacks, including the possibility of hip replacement surgery in the future. As we all know, time passes by quickly and I find myself looking forward to the times I will spend with my children and grandchildren. I also want very much to do some traveling and perhaps continue teaching and writing. I am now teaching two classes at Atlantic Cape Community College, which keeps me involved with the “younger generation,” which I find both fascinating and rewarding.

I have so many fond memories of working in the special needs field but they are far too many to enumerate here. You may recall some – the launch of our World Congress & Exposition on Dis-abilities; the Disability Awareness Night program we created with Major League and Minor League baseball teams (later expanded to include the NBA and NCAA football teams) to call attention to people with disabilities and how much they can contribute to society as productive citizens. Then there’s our work with the U.S Military and the Exceptional Family Member Program to provide military families with resources, practical advice and emotional support while their husbands or wives, mothers or fathers are deployed. In the healthcare arena, there’s our work with the subject matter of genetics, as well as Expanded Newborn Screening, in which serious metabolic conditions can be identified at birth and treated effectively to avoid a lifetime of chronic lifetime disorders.

We helped raise awareness on the devastating impact of mitochondrial and metabolic disorders in terms parents can understand. We stood by our opposition to the use of restraints on people with disabilities and especially those with intellectual disabilities, the most under-served population in our society. We worked with Special Olympics  International, and developed a deep relationship with the American Academy of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, champions of people with intellectual disabilities. And so much more.

Over the years, EP and I have had the opportunity to develop close personal relationships with some of the giants in medicine, science, technology, the arts, education and good, old-fashioned parenting. These relationships, I hope and pray, will last long after I have moved on. I will try my level best to maintain these relationships. I shall miss the daily interaction with parents and families for whom EP was created and to whom our publication has been devoted. They are, and shall always be my heroes – real honest to goodness heroes.

Saying “goodbye” is never easy, so I will not try. I never understood the word anyway. Where is the “good” in “goodbye” anyway? Instead, I will pray to the Lord, asking Him to simply “Give me tomorrow.”

God bless and I wish each of you well.•

 

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