Central100 Florida
Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you. What is your new year’s resolution for 2023?
HELP THOSE LESS FORTUNATE,
Gary Cain, president, Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida: In 2023, I pledge to remain relentlessly focused — both personally and professionally — on the most vulnerable members of our society, underserved children. It seems that every societal problem — from our faltering economy to teacher shortages to the pandemic — disproportionately affects children from low-income families. Wouldn’t it be fabulous if Central Florida were known not just as the happiest place on Earth for tourists, but for the children who live here as well?
COMMUNAL WORSHIP, Lee Constantine, commissioner, Seminole County: We are all creatures of habit. During the pandemic many of us created new norms. One of mine was to attend my local parish service via livestream. That necessity became a convenient habit. Occasionally, I would attend mass at church but usually my Sunday morning included sitting in front of an iPad watching the 10 a.m. service. Last week, I attended a freezing outdoor Christmas Eve celebration and realized a simple truth: Nothing takes the place of communal worship. The act of sharing your faith with others brings a sense of common purpose and stress relief. This year my resolution is to attend Mass in person.
DON’T COMPROMISE VALUES,
Ben Friedman, attorney and community advocate: 2023 is going to be a test for Florida, our nation, and each one of us. Homophobia, racism, antisemitism, and every other imaginable form of bigotry is seeing a frightening resurgence. Sadly, our state is at the forefront of many of the most cruel and harmful culture wars being fought — in our legislature, schools, homes and workplaces. I won’t stand on the sidelines, and I wont compromise my values. In 2023, the choice is clear: we can be an unapologetic ally of the bullied, or an abetter of the bullies. I know which side I’ll be on.
THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, Joel C. Hunter, Parable Foundation: I resolve to give others “the benefit of the doubt” when trying to understand their opinions and actions. That was a phrase often heard in my small, Midwestern hometown when I was growing up. It probably saved neighbors from outbreaks of bickering, and from even deeper cycles of cynicism. Imagining “walking a mile in their shoes” also helped. I will continue to disagree with much of what I see and hear, but I’m weary of my default judgmentalism, too ready to be triggered by categorization, when love might find a better way.
EMBRACE DIFFERENCE,
David Kay, chair, Interfaith Council of Central Florida: How can we possibly get along in a society — a country, a world — so sharply divided? Browbeating those we disagree with is much more likely to make them dig in their heels than change their minds. So, my 2023 resolution is: “Embrace irreconcilable differences.” That doesn’t mean giving up my own beliefs or compromising my own principles. It means accepting that a narrative or perspective or worldview that differs from my own — even totally contradicts it — is just as valid to the person who holds it as mine is to me.
GROWING VISION,
Belinda Ortiz Kirkegard, Kissimmee economic development director: After 13 years with the wonderful city of Kissimmee, I will transition to a new role in 2023, having accepted the position of President of the National Entrepreneur Center, as Jerry Ross retired. My resolution is to grow his vision of bolstering our small business community and hopefully I can do with as
HEALTHY YEAR, Khalid Muneer, broker/ owner, Jupiter Properties Central Florida:
The new year always brings new hopes, new goals, new aspirations, new resolutions, which in most cases are forgotten within 30 days of the new year only to become “casual promises to myself with no legal obligations to fulfill,” to quote a friend. However one resolution that I will keep in the new year is to do everything in my power to stay healthy. Being one of those lucky ones who was not a victim of COVID-19 by avoiding unnecessary gatherings and air travel, the change in lifestyle did help. As I am currently in London, visiting my family after three years of self-imposed air travel ban, I am finding the dangers of COVID viruses are still real as I am unable to visit 70% of my relatives/friends as they have the new flu virus, which is contagious, not to mention dangerous. Add to this 300 million COVID cases in China with the possibility of 2 million deaths, and new health entry requirements being imposed by many countries, good personal health should be on top of everyone’s 2023 resolutions and not just a casual promise to ourselves.
UNPLUG, Pamela Nabors, president/CEO, CareerSource Central Florida:
My resolution for 2023 is to be more present in real life and less in the virtual world. In fact, I’m planning to take a prolonged break from Facebook and most social media. It’s hard to keep up with the over 1,000 wonderful connections daily, so I’ll be wishing everyone a collective and heartfelt Happy Birthday, Happy Anniversary, and Happy Holidays for 2023. I plan to read a lot more, write a little, do more puzzles, and enjoy moments with the people I love!
RESOLUTIONS ARE DUMB,
Brendan O’Connor, editor in chief, Bungalower.com: I think resolutions are dumb. If you want to change something you’re doing, then do it right now. Waiting until one specific date to affect change in yourself is setting yourself up for a disappointment later. A disappointment that will likely result in eating a bowl of pasta on the couch — from the pot. According to a casual internet search, only 16 percent of people are able to carry out their resolutions. And I believe that, because it’s on the internet. That being said, a well-curated bucket list is always a great way to start the year and you can theme it to whatever made-up resolution you would have made with your New Age hippie friends instead. Number one on my list this year list is to use more bowls.
MORE ROMANCE, Paul Partyka, past president, Central Florida Commercial Association of Realtors: My lovely wife, my soulmate, and I, are just the two of us, spending more time together with the kids gone. How to be better: Listen more, agree more, mean it; dress better for her, help with chores like taking out the trash before it overflows, hang up my clothes right away, help with the cooking prep, more time at home and less at work, be more romantic (go overboard), like when we first started going out. Little unexpected presents, give Hallmark note cards for no reason, go all out on sentimental days, plan a jointly planned vacation to a special place. Just do it!
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS, Joanie Schirm, GEC founding president; World Cup Orlando 1994 Committee chairman: I will listen more to my late mother’s missionary advice, which still lives in my head. “We rise by lifting others. It’s up to you to do your part with everyday acts of kindness, big or small.” Imagine if every day, every human across the planet made a goal to do something that lifts one another. On a recent chilly day, my husband and I dropped off blankets at the Salvation Army. The security woman accepting them had grateful tears in her eyes, and so did I. Kindness lifts us all. Make the world a better place. And thank my mom, Ruth Alice Lequear Holzer, for her prompts.
NARROW FOCUS,
Kannan Srinivasan, former president of Asian American Chamber of Commerce; CEO of Global KTech: We think multitasking will make things more efficient and help us to finish tasks, but in reality we don’t pay attention to detail and it ends up stressing us more. There will always be tasks, to-do’s, chores and errands anytime. My resolution for next year to focus one thing at a time. In this way, we give full attention to the task that we are executing and
complete it on time and move to the next one.
AGAINST EVIL, Ken LaRoe, Founder, Climate First Bank: My resolution is to battle evil to the core and that means politicians like Ron DeSantis, business people like Elon Musk and malevolent potentates like Vladimir Putin and Mohammed bin Salman.
FOOD ADVENTURES, Michael Zais, political blogger for thedrunkenrepublican. com: Like many folks, my wife and I enjoy dining out often, and being a craft beer lover myself, we like to frequent the many fantastic eateries and breweries in Central Florida. Being creatures of habit, though, we tend to gravitate towards our favorite establishments in the Dr. Phillips area. So, my resolution in 2023 will be to expand both our culinary and craft beer horizons and more often venture further out of Dr. Phillips to more fully experience the many eclectic restaurant and brewery offerings in Central Florida — with particular focus on smaller, independently owned establishments.