905R94103
Remarks by Vaidas V. Adamkus
Administrator
U.S. EPA Region 5
Chicago, Illinois
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Greater Leadership Opportunity (GLO) Program
11th Graduation Ceremony
Metcalfe Federal Building, Chicago, Illinois
April 21, 1994
(Approx. 3:10 min)
Good evening
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you tonight—-both graduates and guests—to
the 11th graduation ceremony of EPA's Greater Leadership Opportunity Program. And
since all but two of our 25 graduates are from out oftowfi—tbafis, from EPA
Headquarters and from other EPA Regions—-let me extend to them a warm Chicago
welcome at the same time.
When the GLO [pronounced GLOW] program was instituted throughout EPA in 1987,
its aim was straightforward: to seek out minority and women employees with proven
capacity for greater supervisory and overall leadership responsibilities. That aim
remains the same. In addition, GLO seeks to promote professional and personal
growth. And, by doing so, to attract to EPA and to retain the most promising talents for
the most challenging and the most satisfying of all jobs, perhaps—the protection of
the precious environment we all share.
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GLO is not a mass-training program. It has been highly selective from the start and it
remains so today. Currently there are 259 GLO graduates on active duty throughout
all of EPA, including 20 here in Region 5. And although the GLO program does not
guarantee a promotion, most GLO graduates have done exceedingly well.
In Region 5, for example, of the 20 GLO graduates, six have been promoted to
supervisory positions and another six have been promoted to nonsupervisory
positions. And the other eight—well, they are still keeping their fingers crossed. No
one has writtern them off—-not by a long shot.
You are here today, proud graduates of GLO, because you had what it takes. It's as
simple as that-—but far from easy. You had what it takes to pass a most rigorous
selection process, both the written evaluation and the scrutiny of a tough interview
panel. And you had what it takes to complete the one-year training program—-from
working out a development plan and completing a group project to selecting a mentor
and doing executive interviews. The GLO program was deliberately designed to be
demanding—-not to discourage you or to trip you up, but to bring out the best in you as
you go through the comprehensive training and guidance process.
Tonight you can be justly proud of your efforts. Your families, your coworkers, and
your friends can equally be proud of your accomplishments. And I, on behalf of EPA,
would like to add my personal congratulations. But remember: The GLO program is
not a repository of talent. Rather, it's a steppingstone to a better and a more fulfilling
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career for talented individuals.
Remember, too, that the middle word in the name of the program is Leadership. So
lead: lead by personal and professional example, lead by initiative and innovation,
lead by consensus-building and resourceful management.
When you return to your posts, you will have plenty of chances to put everything you
learned during the past year into lifelong practice. Many of your colleagues will look to
you for advice, suggestions, and solutions to everyday problems as well as perhaps
not-so-routine problems. Don't disappoint them. Be a good listener. Be a good
coach. Encourage them to aim high. You may not have all the answers, but you can
do your bost to hoJp-Qthers reach their full potential.
The great humanist, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, once said that people-—having lost the
capacity to foresee and to forestall—-will end up destroying the earth. But, as I look at
our GLO graduates tonight, I know that this will never happen. Because you have the
capacity to foresee and to forestall. And above all, you have the capacity to lead.
I wish you a long and happy career at EPA, full of success and personal satisfaction.
Good luck in all your endeavors!
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