Believe it or not, August of 2014 marks the 10th anniversary of Scott’s Corner. What began as a suggestion from one of our volunteers turned into my open line of communication with the parish community. If my math is correct, I have written over 500 editions of Scott’s Corner at Saint John the Evangelist and another 150 or so at St. Agnes.
In writing my weekly column, I have done my very best to be candid and extremely transparent in communicating my thoughts. I have discussed many points of interest in the past 10 years ranging from finance to solicitation for special projects and even sharing personal tidbits, such as the birth of my triplets with you.
This particular edition was the one that I wasn’t sure I would ever write or how it would be written, but eventually all good things ultimately come to an end.
My wife (Shelley) was an employee of a very large Naples based company for 10 years. That company has since been acquired by another company located out of state and subsequently, Shelley was out of job. In contemplating what we would do with the loss of her position, she was approached by a team from Arizona and offered an opportunity which was too good to pass up. This is literally a dream job for Shelley, and I have chosen to support her in her endeavors by moving our family out west.
I must say that notifying Fr. John of my plans was one of the toughest things I have had to do in my life. I have grown to respect and trust Fr. John on a personal, professional and spiritual level. He has been very good to me, and I believe we made a very good team working together.
When I informed Fr. John that I will be moving to Arizona with my family, he asked me to stay on until the end of October so that I may successfully download my 17 years of knowledge and expertise to my replacement(s). Jean-Paul (JP) Boucher will be my primary replacement and will be responsible for the day to day management of the parish. As you can attest, JP is quite qualified and very capable to step in. We will be working very closely in the near term to ensure a very smooth transition.
I will miss Saint John the Evangelist greatly and especially the relationships created over a span of 17 years. I was often asked why I didn’t choose to do something different over the years and my answer was always that “I love my job and I love this parish.” This is certainly the truth, although there were many times during the height of season that I wondered what in the world I was doing.
We have had our share of ups and downs over the years especially with the transition from our founding Pastor, Fr. Glackin, to Fr. John, however, we always weathered the storm and emerged stronger than ever. Fr. John asked me what I was most proud of during my tenure and my answer was keeping the parish fully engaged during the aforementioned transitional period. People do not like change and that was a big change. I spent many months meeting with parish families one on one explaining the TRUTH about what happened and setting the record straight. Although we lost some parish families during that time period, the majority of those who met with me chose to stay and are definitely glad they did.
Many professional athletes always claim to want to retire at the pinnacle rather than dragging out their careers and retiring as a backup. I can honestly say that I am leaving you with a great team of clergy and staff. As I alluded to several weeks ago, this is the best compilation of clergy and staff that have been assembled in my 17 years here.
Although my heart is broken to be leaving all of you, I know that this is a great move for my family and their well-being. Since I am a self-proclaimed “straight shooter,” allow me to once again set the record straight. I am making this decision on my own and not under any type of coercion.
This is not the final Scott’s Corner as there will be plenty to discuss for the next three months. This is, however, the end of an era and I am thankful to all of you for the love you have shown over the years.
As an aside, I have a business opportunity setup for myself in Arizona which looks to be a great opportunity as well. I have also located a great Catholic Community where I plan to enroll my children in school and attend Mass.
Thank you again for your support, patience and love during my tenure here at Saint John the Evangelist.
In His work together,
Scott Schlossberg, MBA
General Manager