Lessons Learned from Garry Walters, Community Leader

Here is the formal bio of Garry Walters:

He is the Administrator/Consumer Affairs for Southwest Gas’s Central Arizona Division. In this position he is responsible for cultivating relationships and partnerships within the community. Walters also manages the utility company’s Employee Volunteer Team, which provides volunteer opportunities to Southwest Gas employees. In addition, he works to promote energy awareness throughout the community and seeks out opportunities for Southwest Gas to work with and support minority and small business owners. Garry Walters, a 25-year-plus Southwest Gas employee, has been awarded with both the Volunteer of the Year and Silver Jubilee awards during his career. He holds a Business Management degree from the University of Phoenix. He and his wife reside in Central Phoenix.

He’s doing what you would want a person in his position and dedicated to community development to do. Here’s what you also need to know about Garry Walters: He proves that nice guys finish first and that a man who accomplishes his vision has a lot to teach us. At the recent Positively Powerful Breakfast in Scottsdale, Arizona here are some of the lessons we received in hearing him speak:

• While it’s not impossible to accomplish without this, having your partner, spouse, wife/husband on your team when you go for your dream is important.  The moment of truth when you get real about it and share it with your significant other is a time of vulnerability and when they take your dream on as their own it can be humbling.
• Letting yourself believe that you can create your vision is one of the first steps. Garry began his journey at an event created by Joel Martin and decided then and there that it was possible. Before that his dream was a “nice idea.”
• Demanding equality and being willing to do something about it, can fuel ones passion and commitment to do what it takes.
• Plan ahead to build your dream on your time table.

So those are a few of the lessons, here is what Garry with the support of his wife Kitty created: A new Shared Living Facility for Seniors 55 and older was built by their company Rhino Builders. For Garry it is all about ” giving back to the Community”. In general, this type of housing exists in areas like Scottsdale but through the vision, hard work, and assistance from family members, the duplex with features including a communal area and energy saving features, resides in South Mountain Village and not just in the imagination of Garry Walters.