Rick's Final Note...

I wanted to share the note Rick sent to his WUSA family on his last day. In the words of the WUSA Sales Manager...A Class Act!!

WUSA Family,

What can I say? It’s been real, it’s been fun, and in some cases it’s been really fun. Seems like June 7, 2004, was yesterday and I was walking into the online coverage needs for the death of former President Ronald Reagan. Nothing like a major news event on your first day!

That intensity never slacked off. From being a new Department Head building a new department with a budget and personnel; to relaunching the website 4 times plus one minor facelift; to having a staff of 5 whittled down to 2; from having 1 website increase to 5 (WUSA9.com, m.WUSA9.com, dvmMoms.com, dvmOurTime.com, and SearchDVM.com) while still processing multiple sales and marketing needs; and from a culture where NOTHING happened on the website without going through the web department to a culture where many more are involved in the multimedia processes...much has happened in 4 years.

My deepest thanks and appreciation to Miriam Wright and Emily Cyr who have kept me sane and steady. A Department Head could not ask for a better, more attentive, or more dedicated staff. Through the good and bad, they’ve been flexible and willing to be willing. The three of us spent untold hours tweaking and improving multiple online products, learning new tools and processes, training personnel, answering emails, and attending meetings. Appreciate the resource, talents, and patience Miriam and Emily possess.

I've been asked several times over the years in one manner or another, "How do you do it? How do you juggle everything?" I haven't always shared the best reason: my faith in Jesus Christ. For me, only He could've paved the way allowing my family and I to come from Jackson, Mississippi (Market 89) to Washington, DC (Market 9) and only He could've orchestrated the opportunity at AOL which I never knew was available until it was dropped in my lap. I'm thankful for these blessings, the many friendships I've made at WUSA, and much more.

Having been in broadcasting for 20 years (first radio and then TV), online has always been present and my true interest. No other platform offers so much diversity for content and was one of the reasons I won an Emmy at my previous station. AOL will be a departure from the whacky broadcast field and web will become the primary focus instead of just being along for the ride. I welcome the change of not reacting to or completely changing my day because of every breaking news, weather, or sporting event.

I'd love to stay in touch with many of you. My personal email is webmonkeydc@yahoo.com, my IM is webmonkeydc and I have LinkedIn, Facebook, and MySpace pages. There’s also a blog at richardtgarner.blogspot.com. The home number is 301.362.0737.

Thanks for making the journey challenging and rewarding.

Live long and prosper,
Rick

I am very proud of you, and I love you, honey!!