I get up at 5:00 AM and hop on my 16-year-old Segway and head for Mt. Pisgah, a 300-foot sand dune overlooking Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa. I climb the 239 steps up to the overlook where I meditate while waiting for sunrise.
Some days, listening to the song birds, I am rewarded with a spectacular sunrise. Other days, there is the quiet calm of an overcast sky. I reflect on my health, friendships, freedom and more. My mediations of late have been on the subject of change and how change is always happening.
Whittaker Associates is changing. My longtime colleague, Jami Gibson, is leaving her full-time role to move to another part of the state and begin a new phase in her life. She will remain a part-time associate working remotely. I wish her well in her journey. She has been a valuable contributor to our firm’s success for the past thirteen years. We look forward to continuing our work together.
Change brings with it new opportunities. We are expanding our Whittaker Analytics team in Kathmandu, Nepal as we launch a new initiative in predictive analytics using machine learning. The shift from the statistical approach of predictive analytics to the pattern recognition use of neural networks will allow us to use unstructured data to further enhance our ability to predict corporate behavior.
So, stay tuned and see what happens next in the continuing adventure of Whittaker Associates, Inc. and our team. We count each of you among our gratitudes.