As Spring emerges from what may be branded as the world's longest winter (March 2020 – March 2021?), I am penning what I hope is my last pandemic, stuck-working-from-home, business update.
Has it really been a year? Actually, it has been longer for some countries and some states in the U.S. While our friends in Florida and Texas have been fairly open for months, Pennsylvania, along with New York, Ohio, and Michigan have been among the states that have had some of the most stringent restrictions. Spring seems to favor the southern states as well.
Many of you know that I reside in downtown Pittsburgh, barely a city block from our offices in One PPG Place. From my home office window on this day in April 2021, I am gazing out at my office window in One PPG Place and pondering a couple of questions. Is it going to snow again (yes, it snowed here a few days ago)? And, will SDWMA and our colleagues at Schneider Downs & Co. ever be back together in our offices? I don't know about the snow, but the answer to the second question is absolutely YES.
Even in Pittsburgh as the snow flies, green shoots are appearing. The city, which has been ghostly quiet for the last year, is also showing signs of life. I know this because it is no longer safe to cross a street without looking both ways, and even better, when the sun does grace our sky, Point Park, the bike trail around the city, and Market Square are all teaming with people.
The world’s longest winter and the pandemic (we all hope) are coming to an end, and SDWMA’s team is counting down the days to the return to our Pittsburgh and Columbus offices. The target time is July, after the holiday weekend. I feel certain that this time, the date will stick. (If you want to know how successful I am at making predictions, please refer back to my last business update.)
While virtual meetings are probably here to stay, get ready to welcome back in-person reunions in our Pittsburgh and Columbus offices, at your homes, or better yet, at your favorite restaurants.
We can’t wait to be with you again!
In closing, I just want to thank our teammate Vicky Rogers for her 17.5 years of dedicated service to SDWMA and to all of you. Vicky retired on Wednesday, March 31st and for those of you who did not see it, we are sharing the link to her goodbye letter below. Vicky is loved and will be missed by all. Her contributions to SDWMA are too numerous to count. Suffice it to say, “Vicky, you helped make SDWMA the wonderful firm it is today!”
Enjoy the Spring of 2021. As Lady Bird Johnson once said, “Where flowers bloom so does hope.”
Sincerely,
Nancy
