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Community leader illuminates Core Values at Sugar Valley

Daniel Lobb
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Daniel Lobb, Vice President and COO, TRP Enterprises, Inc. Winston-Salem, NC. Photo Credit: 1st Lt Deborah Leighton, Assistant Public Affairs Officer, Sugar Valley Composite Squadron (click image to view full size)
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2/24/2015–– Sugar Valley Composite Squadron, on February 24, 2015, began a monthly program of presentations by members of our local community who are leaders outside of Civil Air Patrol.  Our first speaker was Daniel Lobb, Vice President and COO of TRP Enterprises of Winston-Salem, NC.  Daniel was a business partner of the late Thomas White, who was the character development officer for the squadron based at Sugar Valley Airport and a driving force in creating the squadron.  Daniel noted that Thomas’s influence was evident in the fine people Daniel met.

Lobb’s interactive presentation was based on Civil Air Patrol’s Core Values of Integrity, Excellence, Respect, and Volunteer Service.  Daniel drew parallels from his own life with stories in the training world of business, and shared how each of these values informed his business and family life.  Cadet Kinzel and Cadet Trimble both shared what these values meant to them.

Cadet Trimble spoke of his experiences with a weekend-long outdoors skills training he had attended.  In full uniform he stood up in front of nearly 40 people.  He unfolded the prepared comments he had typed and carried in his pocket.  With trembling voice he read about how cold it was - colder than expected.  On top of that, it rained all weekend.  It was way more difficult than he thought it would be.  One of his closing comments was, “and I survived.”  His remarks were met with thunderous applause.

Cadet Kinzel also reported on a recent activity, which he did loud and clear, with confidence and energy.  Daniel later learned that a year ago, both of those young men would have had a hard time meeting a new person, shaking hands and making eye contact.  And here they have learned to thrive in this environment where it is both safe to fail and yet you are expected to try your hardest. 

They and many other young people are invited to be their best in organizations like the Civil Air Patrol.  It’s an environment where values are taught by the collective and consistent demonstration of those values by all involved.  Daniel said he was struck by how these kids were “getting it” by the examples they saw in the way everyone else behaved, and wondered if the adults were learning just as much in the process?