Comment by BVAA CEO Rob Bartlett

In some people’s eyes, especially those who know me well, I must appear to have had much more than my fair share of misfortune.

I, on the other hand, look upon my life quite differently, and thank the stars I’ve had so much very good luck.  Sure, I’ve had a number of significant downs along the way, but I have a philosophy of parking the bad stuff, learning from it, and doggedly ploughing on and embracing the good when it happens.  And all things considered, there’s been a lot of good...

For example, my apprenticeship was organised almost entirely by a training company who somehow received a form from school with my name on it expressing an interest in ‘engineering’ (I actually wrote ‘agricultural engineering’, but let’s not be picky!). 

A job I later applied for, largely in a fit of pique, turned out to my great advantage to be hugely rewarding and a massive education.  A friend I made while in that department steered me to my first association role.  It was in an organisation that just happened to look after the industry in which I worked and who were – incredibly – moving to the town next door.  After making a decent job of that, a colleague alerted me to a likely vacancy, which led to my current role.  And while working at the BVAA, I worked with some wonderfully supportive and brilliant people – association chairs, Board members, technical advisors and members of all sorts.  All of them absolute gems.

Where I have had the most amazing good fortune however is in the team at BVAA Headquarters.  Every one of them strives hard to support members and give them the very best service possible.  And BVAA members frankly have been very lucky to have them, as that’s not always the case in Association work I can tell you.

Key over the past 15 years however has been my sidekick, ally and very firm friend Karen Webb – there’s a special article about Karen in the spring issue of Valveuser.

Never once in our professional partnership have I ever seen Karen enter into a function or activity with a negative attitude.  Quite the opposite in fact – Karen has always focussed on the positives, and the rest of BVAA – members and staff - have all been carried along with her boundless joie de vivre.

There are - across the entire planet – so many reasons right now to be justifiably concerned or anxious.  I can’t help thinking though, that the world would be a much better, more productive and kinder place if our world leaders adopted Mrs Webb’s infectious focus on the positive!

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