Hello everyone! My name is Tracy Plessinger. I am 53 years old and a father of two wonderful grown kids. I live near Altoona, PA, which is only about 1 hour south of the “mother ship” of PSU at University Park.
My full-time job is manager of the Altoona-Blair County Airport. In that capacity I work for a board of seven, who are in turn appointed by the three elected county commissioners. One of the county commissioners also serves as a non-voting member of our board. Having seven bosses can be challenging and learning to deal with “differences” is an important part of my job. I also serve as the Pastor for two small local churches. In that role, I also need to learn to accept people where they are, while sharing with them my beliefs and understanding about the “big picture”. In my spare time, which is quite limited, I serve as a township supervisor in my home township and on that board serve as the Secretary/Treasurer.
My son, Ryan, is a Penn State graduate with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. While at Penn State he participated in the Naval ROTC program and is currently serving aboard the USS Toledo, a fast attack submarine stationed in Groton, CT. My daughter, Madalyn, is a senior at Grove City College and has been accepted to The Commonwealth Medical College in Scranton, PA. She will be attending medical school on an Air Force scholarship, so she will also be serving her country after her graduation from medical school.
As to my favorite leadership quotes. From the secular world, I have always liked Theodore Roosevelt’s, “The only man who never makes mistakes is the man who never does anything.” I’m not sure he intended it to be a leadership lesson, but it has always helped me to realize that the people sitting in the bleachers throwing barbs and arrows usually are doing that because they don’t have anything else to do. Our nation, communities, and organizations were not built by people who sit on the sidelines looking for fault in others, and I never want to be one of those people. In a spiritual sense, my definite favorite is what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you;” In my mind, leadership is not about elevating me, but about how I can better build up and serve those I am leading. I believe the best leaders are also the best servants.
I have been considering the OLEAD program for several years and “threatening” to take the plunge. Last semester I finally did by taking OLEAD 100. I loved the course and found it to immediately helpful in my various positions. I am looking forward to the same results from OLEAD 497B. My goal is to use the information and skills that I acquire to provide leadership to all of the organizations in which I am involved. At some point, I need to figure out how to take more than one class per semester or I won’t graduate until I’m 65! O well, one problem at a time. Looking forward to a great semester with lots of good interaction and information!
Brian Redmond says
Hi Tracy, it’s nice to get to know a little about you. I look forward to working with you this semester.
–Brian
mdh8 says
Tracy, Nice to hear about you! I was born in Altoona, PA my dad taught in his first year at BG! I love the Altoona area, and my family often goes Christmas Shopping there. We are not that far away. I enjoyed your quote and hope to add it to my growing list of favorites. Hearing how you to apply it to life is always the next piece of quotes that I love to do. Maybe sometime during the semester we can connect or get together for dinner since we are not that far from each other.
Michele
Lucy Ann Martin says
Tracy,
I’m familiar with Altoona, my uncle and his family live there. Actually, a lot of my dad’s family lives in Punxsutawney, not too far from there. It sounds like your job and your role as a Pastor has really expanded your leadership abilities. It sounds like these experiences have helped you in developing relationships and effectively communicating with different people, which are excellent skills to have. I think it is commendable that you still find time to be involved in your township. One of my goals for the future is to get more involved wherever I am located (given that we move a lot with the military). The military was one of the best decisions I ever made and I wish both of your children the best in their military careers. I thank them both for serving! I also very much appreciate the quotes that you shared. I could not agree more with your thoughts pertaining to Theodore Roosevelt’s quote. I think I see now more than ever these bleacher riders you talk about. It’s sad to see all this destructive behavior and useless negative actions and words. Why not do or say something that will actually make a difference? That’s my small input on the matter. Lastly, I would say, it’s not about when you achieve your goals, it is about the fact that you do achieve them. It’s great that you are back to school and I truly believe there is no time frame for realizing your goals. I wish you the best this semester!
VR
Lucy Martin