The SWCS view

Excerpt

DURING the past year, Past-president Don Van Meter spoke regularly in this column about the issue of professionalism in natural resource management and on the role of SWCS in helping each of us to become better professionals. He reminded us of our responsibility to be creative and courageous leaders in helping society come to grips with critical resource issues in an environment of transition.

Don encouraged us to shun complacency as individual professionals and as a professional organization. In urging us to apply our talents, training, and energy in response to priority resource issues, he admonished us to reflect on what it means to be a complete resource professional.

In hearing Bob Teater in his H. Wayne Pritchard lecture at our recent annual meeting in Columbus describe several persons who had modeled for him in qualities as a “complete professional,” I was struck by the emotional as well as the intellectual impact that they had had on Bob's view and life as a professional. It was apparent that these complete resource professionals were people who always put forth their very best.

I also think of several people who have served as role models in my …