1. Hail to all our friends
Hail to all our friends with whom we are Linked
T’is a season for greeting, but no cards have we inked!
Lament we shan’t, for in this age gone all digital
We resort to a medium that’s so facile (yet to many inimical.)
Much more than mere shout-outs, the following names are imbued
With a fellowship that’s resistant to most yardsticks of value.
Though hailing from a variety of harvests, vintages, and complexities,
They share all those worthy attributes of dignity, respect and felicity.
Compared with that wily Odysseus, we consider ourselves fortunate
To still hear from crews of days past, even an assembly of schoolmates:
Brian Shaughnessy Mike Driscoll Len Glynn and Steve Brogan
Tom Burkes by the deuces John Murphy and Alexander MacLean.
And how about Gerry Manning’s video at captainparkers.com.?
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Our Globe staff earnestly strove for duende, a trait with many an elusive criterion,
Each handily met by Pioneer Club regulars Steve Williams and Matt Storin.
As a Heightsman Reid Oslin has a heart that’s so true; he’s, a heckuva guy.
So too Andy Boynton Bill MacDonald and Vic Schiltzer, our Holy Cross spy.
Boasting a pied a terre on Third Avenue and a dockside place on the harbor,
Our CGI clan had no truck with Elaine’s tapping a nearer purlieu, the late Rusty Scupper:
Neil Lucey, Gordon Andrew, and George Linkletter (for each is a celebrated wit)
Dan Barrett Bill Sisley Anne Board and Great Neck scion Steve Markowitz.
Our friends from the agency biz we hold in special regard;
They abide -- like The Dude – keeping nihilists out of the yard.
Salutations to Jack Satterfield and Sean Daugherty, the best of shipmates,
Gregarious Bernie Kilkelly and the maestro of change, Gary Grates.
Hoisting its ensign as Flagstar, TW navigated many rough seas
While its crew from all points on the compass bonded with considerable ease.
We begin with Jim Verney, a graceful and synchronized swimmer,
Moving on to proud Spartans Ken Watts and Randy Kibler.
And pray tell who isn’t the better for knowing Anne Bailey
Mike Starnes W.C. Hammett and our baritone Eric Montgomery?

2. Where would we have been without Karen Randall and Elaine Gosnell
Faye Loretta Smith Christa Hovis and Debbie Atkins to answer the bell?
God bless Ray Biggs (a.k.a Elvis to many) Larry Gosnell Matt McGuiness and Burt Duren
Kens Bessent and Jones, their task more physics than finance, black holes their capital concern.
Like Lewis and Clark they hiked with a purpose through the vast hinterland of IT:
David Howell and Tommy Holt, trusty stewards of that murky ecology.
Our friends from Chicago were maddeningly tough to outguess
When fathoming New Business, Net (in effect, three-dimensional chess.)
Here then’s to Ken Frick, Larry Hatch, and Harold Taegel
Diane Hoch and Karl Sedlarz for whose guidance we are grateful.
The heirs of Harold Butler were indeed on a mission
Serving coffee to millions while grand slamming twenty four seven.
Ron Petty Mark Archer Sam Wilensky Mark Shipman Carl Ferland and Bill Cox
Guys possessing those inestimable qualities that don’t come in a box.
At operations, a hands-on occupation with scant time for a rest,
Jack Dunsmoor, Rob Ivison and Rick Godwin are among the best.
Saving us from our very own bloopers stood that diligent bureau of lawyering:
Rob Barrett Jim Marshall George Moseley Rhonda Parish and Tim Flemming.
No one stood up for our people like Edna Morris, Stephen Wood and Judy Painter.
For help with the marketing we looked to Nick Castaldo and our data clinician, Fred Efird.
Honorio Padron was the man when it came to myriad things systemic,
Whilst Sheryl Turner-Watts precepted the consummate in restaurant techniques.
If positive attitude is contagious, we’ll admit we’re infected
Thanks to colleagues like Dick McNeill and buoyant Lynette McKee.
Turning now to the denizens of Mounts Rocky and Royal
We sing Joyeux Noel (our team was, you know, bilingual!)
Of H. Steve McManus Dan Ginsberg and Dave Gordon
Warren Hardie and Kaz Jana our memories are golden.
Much the same for Jocelyn Dumas and W. Maurice Bridges
Francis D’Addario and that human dynamo Sandee Pritchard
E’re leaving our quick-service crew at the drive-thru, just a whispered aside:
Where the hell is our cherubic spokesperson, Peter McBride?
No doom did the Millennium bring – au contraire—instead came a host of new chums,
Whose avatars take World of Warcraft to new levels of wicked good fun.
From our travels to BA there’s Marcela Villanueva and Diego Garay
Closer to home Fulton Breen and Jon Pritchett, our sports biz rabbi.
For identity crises we’re grateful for Steve Lawrence and Richard Wilke
With Roger van den Berg and Ryan Paul harmonizing type color and strategy.
Slainte to the best partiers ever: Jim Shea Jim Kirk and energetic Bill Bub
Gordon Keil Andy Bailen Miles Tedder and Joe Zepf, what a club!
TSI Company has ideas that are legion, a virtual space of many hectares,
For at brainstorming Art Suriano and Matthew Moran are in no way slackers.
Our lawman friend Mark Rodenhauser casts a very large shadow
While Alston Bird’s Gary Ivey keeps our firm straight and narrow.
Hail to all our friends 2 December 2012

3. In work such as ours, there are contacts to foster,
Some of them making it onto the permanent roster.
Here’s to Tim Dawson and Simon Nash from across the sea,
Dhruv Gupta, Bob Amster and that enhancer of portfolios, Pete Keane.
Not forgetting Claire Sokoloff, peerless organizational maven,
Or the assiduous Dan Lonergan, who dowses for values latent.
At services marketing Len Berry is surely the poobah
While Jamie Simmons makes one a better golf swingah. (ouch!)
Mark Brady and Bob Damon match people with positions
As Doyle Boggs guards closely Wofford College’s reputation.
Communication can always stand with improvement,
At that Kathy Nelson Suzanne Engels and Laura Corbin are most fluent.
Citizens of the commonwealth of investment seeing years of fiery trials,
Jason Seltzer and Bill Dawson we hope will raise values by miles.
Your life’s becoming film noir? Take down these names for protection:
Rich Torrenzano for your reputation and Ken Robison your person.
Recognizing one who works the most faraway
We hail Yum China’s Jane Gannaway.
As New Yorkers expert in getting messages across,
Dawn Dover and Beau Gardner are excisors of dross.
A long-time observer of his state’s endless manias,
Laer Pearce earns applause for his new book, “Crazifornia”
Gene Stevenson’s an old friend from Gotham residing in Atlanta,
His work so tightly crafted you might even say it’s justa justa.*
We now reach out to our friends the across the Triangle:
Carty Davis and Van Krebs being among the most genial.
Hit the Like button for Kathy Truelove, who aces your meetings,
And do the same for Don Hadley, monsignor of leadership forums.
Two advisors whose calling is getting businesses to tick
We salute Mario Casabona and fellow-Eagle Bill Quish.
Digital media’s a land of dazzling opportunity
For the likes of Dean Meidanis, Chris Haynes and Bill Holliday.
Haven’t heard yet of Madison Sports Partnerships? You must.
Mary Lee Gilliland’s shop is one for all sponsors to trust.
Here’s to Anne Parker from the Low country so beautiful
And the Upstate’s Dan Adams whose firm is simply capital.
While to this proposition he’d likely respond with a quitclaim,
Larry DiCara’s a Bostonian without peer in remembering a name.
* Spelling approximate, with apologies to our Italian friends
Hail to all our friends 3 December 2012

4. Talk Chaucer or anthracite coal? See Adrian Bethray for such repartee,
While Lisa Wynn knows marketing and proper English to a tee.
It’s time that we mention design guru Irwin Graulich
Who in annual report season oft kept us in stitches.
Penultimate to closing we must thank our tribesman (and partner) Jim Sheppard
Whose mien’s wryly captured by these words of a great bard:
“Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy,
Which sustained him through temporary periods of joy.”
This muster dismissed, we’ll soon commence requisition
Of content to further enliven our next holiday composition.
A year that started with high hopes and fanfares
Trudges on to the end giving off more modest airs.
In the New Year we yearn for a lift in our spirits.
(How ‘bout the Red Sox finishing higher than fifth?)
Whatever our wants, we take great solace
In knowing our friends are there for us.
Happy holidays to all
Godspeed and be well.
-- Coleman Sullivan
Hail to all our friends 4 December 2012