Virtual or Real…Which is it?

By Dean Whittaker While mentoring a seventh grader this month, I learned a valuable lesson. I asked him to teach me Minecraft, an online virtual world. My first lesson went well, complete with a homework assignment. After spending the weekend reading “Minecraft for...

Who Planted the Tree?

By Dean Whittaker Have you every wondered who planted that tree? Someone, back in time, planted the seed that became the tree that provides the shade and beauty that we enjoy in the fall colors. This month, the community in which I live, Holland, MI, planted a...

Back to the Future…Are You Ready?

By Dean Whittaker This month I had the privilege of facilitating a 3-hour workshop for the Utility Economic Development Association to explore the trends impacting economic development in the context of the utility industry. We used an environmental scanning process...

The Resilient People of Nepal

By Dean Whittaker Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for the people of Nepal. Amidst the death and destruction, the resilient people of Kathmandu, Nepal have begun to rebuild following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred on April 25th at 11:40 AM. As many...

Update: On the Road to Recovery in Nepal

By Dean Whittaker The five-day news cycle of media has passed for the earthquake in Nepal, and our attention has moved on to other issues.  However, the recovery from the April 25th earthquake continues and will do so for decades.  Over 400,000 homes were destroyed...