O.D. Institute Newsletter

January 2010

A Visit with Don Cole in Hilo Hawaii

I just recently had the opportunity to visit with Don while in Hilo for my daughter’s wedding. Leaning from Erik Cole that Don was now living in Hilo I decided to take the opportunity to have a visit with Don.  It was more rushed than I would have liked but Don obviously was glad to see me and we sat in his kitchen chatting like old times.  The only difference was that we weren’t drinking a glass of wine since I am on a strict diet because of my stroke, heart attack, and newly implanted stint. Neither one of us can deny the effects of getting older, but we sure did enjoy reminiscing about old conferences and mutual OD friends throughout the ages.

As you might guess, Don was very interested in how the O.D. Institute was doing, how the conference went in South Africa and what plans we had for the Institute for the coming year.  I told him about the two Special Issues we have planned for the ODJ:  A Special Issue on Conflict Management and O.D. being edited by Chris Piotrowski and the Special Issue on International O.D. being edited by Peter Sorensen, RODC, later in the year as well as Joel Finley’s two issues for this year.  He was glad to see that we had this year’s issues so well planned.

He also asked about the upcoming conferences, see section on conferences, and was glad to hear that the Institute was moving forward.  I assured him that we had the next year’s activities scheduled and that we were planning on using the Information Exchange in Mobil, Alabama for more planning and that Peter Sorensen was working on a arranging for a planning session to be held in Chicago.

I also assured him that Erik Cole was struggling with getting the data base reorganized and we both laughed as we talked about all the problems we have had with the data base and that Gail Smith, the production editor for the ODJ, still has problems getting pictures and appropriate length bios from authors. It seem like some problems are eternal. 

Don’s son, Whelan, chimed in from time with reminiscences about his father and how all the kids where entrepreneurs – a kind of family tradition no doubt inspired by Don’s independent streak and anti-bureaucratic approach to life.  Whelan reminded me of much younger Don Cole and I couldn’t help but see the similarities between the two men.

We departed with a 60’s bear hug.  As I pulled out of the drive way to head up the coast to my new in-law’s home,  Don waved with a grin; I waved back wondering what long-term vision would emerge for the O.D. Institute.  We didn’t talk about the long-term – only the plans for the next year, but both of us knew that a new future was in the making, not only for the O.D. Institute, but for the field as whole.