Sell with the Pilot
And now this.
The announcement Monday that JP is merging with Lincoln Financial rattles this city's soul.
Say what you will about "net job gains," Jefferson-Pilot has been such an integral part of the community's fabric that the thought of its headquarters being anywhere but in the stately twin towers downtown is nearly impossible to accept.
Equally painful is the thought that JP CEO Dennis Glass will move to Philadelphia as a part of the restructuring. Glass had taken an aggressive role in community affairs in Greensboro, including his vice chairmanship of the Greensboro Economic Partnership. No matter what good regard for Greensboro he carries with him to Philly, his physical presence will be missed.
Glass not only had invested money in Greensboro; he had invested his personal time and leadership.
I met him last year at a dinner sponsored by the Action Greensboro Young Professionals Task Force (Yeah, I know I'm not a young professional, but they let me in anyway).
Here's what I wrote in an editorial a day later:
What's good for Greensboro is good for JP, Jefferson-Pilot CEO Dennis Glass said Tuesday night in an informal speech to young professionals.
Speaking for 20 or so minutes without the benefit of one note, Glass, who succeeded David Stonecipher on March 1, cited the impending arrival of a Dell Inc. computer manufacturing plant in the Triad. He applauded the recent news of a planned Elon University law school downtown. And he noted his own company's robust health in an era of lingering economic uncertainty.
More significantly, Glass underscored his personal commitment to this community. Most recently, he has become a vice chairman of the newly formed Greensboro Partnership, a streamlined engine for job growth. Good for him. And for us.
Some had wondered if the business community would be willing, or able, to sustain the momentum created by the foundation-fueled nonprofit, Action Greensboro. But Glass has been a driving force behind the partnership, as have others, including Mackey McDonald of VF Corp., M. Lee McAllister of Weaver Investment Co. and Dale Hall of Bank of America.
There is, in fact, a renewed sense of engagement in Greensboro's future by its corporate captains -- a hopeful reminder that building a more economically vital city is all of our business.
Alas. Alack. Bummer.
Comments (1)
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When we lose corporate HQs, we lose CEOs like Dennis. This is the human capital tragedy that Greensboro now faces again. It's not just dollars and cents - it's real people who move elsewhere and most likely engage that community as their own. This community must suffer from that. It just must. You're right: bummer.
Posted on October 12, 2005 11:04 AM