After the positive feedback I received from readers on last week’s column on Ben Sasse, I further contemplated two of the themes that Mr. Sasse has been espousing: delayed gratification and humility (i.e., others above self). As I reflected on these themes, I realized they could be captured by the ancient Greek proverb, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in,” that was popularized in the 1950’s by American author and theologian, D. Elton Trueblood.
The quote captures the willingness to invest in the future (delayed gratification) for the purpose of making life better for future generations, even if you might not be around to reap the benefits of the investment (others above self). In the past week, I had been fortunate enough to attend two events in which this quote came to life, which also caused me to reflect on how this quote helped drive my life’s works.
The first event I attended last Thursday was the Augusta University (AU) President’s Garden Party, at which the annual AU President’s Award was presented for 2026. The President’s Award is the institution’s highest honor, which recognizes friends, supporters, alumni, or organizations that have made a remarkable impact on the university, its students, and the surrounding community. The honoree is presented with a sculpture of a torch, which symbolizes the light that is shed by the recipients of the award of this recognition through their selfless commitment to Augusta University. The well-deserving winner of the 2026 award, Dr. J. Ben Deal, is certainly someone who has “planted trees” for future generations. For the past eight to nine years, I have been extremely fortunate to observe firsthand Dr. Deal’s commitment to the future of the Dental College of Georgia (DCG), Medical College of Georgia (MCG), AU, and the Augusta community. In particular, his leadership as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the MCG Foundation will have an impact on MCG, AU, and Augusta for years to come. In his time as Chair, his tireless efforts have helped grow the Foundation’s endowment significantly and positively impacted the community through the Foundation’s unwavering support of The Hub and the Boys and Girls Club. His efforts will be felt at AU and in this community for decades to come.
The second event I attended was one in which I played a role in the “tree planting.” On Saturday night, Kennesaw State University (KSU) held a celebration of its extremely successful year in football and basketball for its coaches, donors, and other supporters of KSU Athletics. This was KSU’s first year in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Conference USA, and KSU won conference championships in both football and basketball, earning a football bowl invitation and a bid to NCAA basketball’s March Madness. I was invited to this event for the roles I played in elevating KSU Athletics starting in the early to mid 2000’s. I was highly involved as KSU transitioned from Division II to Division I from 2005 to 2009. Then I was appointed to KSU’s Football Exploratory Committee in December 2009, that eventually made football a reality with its first season in 2015. In addition, I oversaw the intersection between academics and athletics at KSU from 2011 to 2017. I am very proud of what KSU Athletics has accomplished, and for me, the foundational role I helped play in getting it where it is today. I was humbled that someone from the current athletic administration at KSU told me that they stood on the shoulders of people like me to reach their recent success. It made me feel that I helped create “shade” for others to sit in.
I am proud to say that I believe I have been a “tree planter” throughout my work life. However, I did not become that way on my own, and my efforts have always been as part of a team of “planters.” I was fortunate to be surrounded by parents, peers, mentors, and supervisors who emphasized working hard with a focus on long-term returns that would lead to a better life not only for me, but more importantly, for others. In addition, I have been lucky enough to be put in positions that have allowed me to positively impact others and future generations. I have been blessed to be part of teams that did the following:
- Strategic Defense Initiative: As a junior officer in the U.S. Air Force, I worked on President Reagan’s proposed Ballistic Missile Defense System. We were working long hours on a system that we knew would likely not be fielded for at least thirty years. However, we knew it could make for a safer world and ultimately did, as it helped lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact.
- Air Force ROTC and Air Force Institute of Technology: In my next two stops in my Air Force career, I had the honor of preparing Air Force ROTC cadets at Georgia Tech for careers as officers and then teaching and mentoring junior officers at the Air Force’s graduate school. Many of my former cadets and students have gone on to outstanding careers both in the military and the private sector, including two who retired as Major (2-star) Generals in the Air Force 25-30 years later. I have been fortunate to hear from both generals on how I impacted them very early in their careers.
- AU/Hull College Dean: While I was often frustrated by how slowly things can often move in academia, I am proud that many of the “trees” I helped plant at the Hull College of Business are growing into fruition. Along with Drs. Mark Thompson, Melissa Furman, and Dave Brendza of ADP, we started the Women’s Leadership Academy, which continues to thrive and flourish under the leadership of Dr. Stacy Roberts and Mr. Brendza. In addition, new programming in the areas of healthcare management, strategic innovation, technology management, and financial literacy have their origins traced back to my time as Dean. We always need to remember that some things take time and resources, but are not possible without the foundational efforts to demonstrate their worth.
- Current Teaching: As my career winds down, I believe I am using my classroom to continue to plant trees, by investing in my students to not only make them better operations and supply chain managers but also giving them the tools to be better leaders and citizens.
I have been fortunate to be surrounded by role models and leaders throughout my life who showed me the importance of planting trees for future generations. As Ben Sasse is demonstrating, it is our obligation to do the same to help continue to make our society great.
