3/13/2008

ProTel employee's and valued customers,

There are moments in the career of any businessman that he or she will look back upon with pride. They will become the pivotal and defining moments of their life. For several reasons, today is one of those moments.

First off, today, John Chase has been appointed the new CEO of ProTel NetWorks.

From now on our expectations of him will be higher and his responsibility will be greater. John has been in "my sights" for quite a few years since he stumbled in the door, fresh out of the US Navy as an electronics repair technician supporting warships in the first Gulf War. The thing I liked best about that whole experience is that his mission called for him to make repairs in times of crises, often without spare parts, so he had to create something out of nothing to keep a ship in service. This takes creativity, courage and the ability to perform under fire. John, my friend, you will continue to need all three because along with his new responsibilities will come duties that carry a tremendous weight.

I have no doubt that having been selected for this position, you will rise to that challenge. As an employee of this company for over 13 years, evaluation and accountability is something he is well used to by now. That evaluation began the day he came to work for me, and it will continue throughout his career with the company.

His role will not change but rather expand. From now on all of our customers and co-workers will look to him for guidance, for surety and for confidence. They will look to him as an example of excellence, and excellence is what he expects and what he stands for. It is one thing to have the people who work for you follow your directions, but it is entirely another to acknowledge that you will now be held responsible for their actions. In fact, he will now be expected to look out for them before he looks out for himself.

We all can take great pride in the fact that he has been selected for this position as he has earned it. The record shows that over and over again he has demonstrated that he has what it takes to fulfill this role and to accept this responsibility. I did not take, nor make, this decision lightly. His evaluation included his professional and moral qualifications; it included his integrity and his level of fitness to take this company through the complex changes that our company will face in the coming months and years. In fact, John and I have been working together to this end, sharing thoughts, ideas and philosophies for the last two years directly on how to make this transition in the best possible manner.

He has shown that he has the potential and that he has what it takes. Our congratulations should be given to him with joy and without reservation. We need and want leaders like him to maintain and develop the proud and honored culture that we have all created in our company over the last 25 years. What we shall ask of him will be great, but I have every faith that he can and will proceed to make ProTel NetWorks the best company it can be for you, your families and your businesses.

We wish him continued success and with your help, just as you all supported me over the many years; we shall all enjoy it.

Additionally, I am very proud to be able to step back, slow down and take in all that I have been privileged to be a part of. I have been blessed to be witness to some great personal growth, comically boneheaded blunders, personal and professional joy and unfortunately, some tragedies as well.

The man I am today is no less than the sum of the parts of my experiences that I have shared with fellow employees, customers and friends. The years I have spent leading have made me what I am today; proud of what a group of individuals was able to accomplish by great teamwork, camaraderie, hard work, love and respect for each other.

Finally, I am proud and very happy to say that this is not the end of the road for me at ProTel. John has left the door open for me to return and work under his direction and with our group on any projects or initiatives that he deems to be of benefit; that can add value to what we offer our customers, our culture.

So, after I take a rather large chunk of time off, you will find me contributing to the web page, calling on old friends, current customers and building the confidence of our customers and partners by letting them beat the stuffing out of me on the golf course! You can stay tuned at www.daveglissmeyer.com

Until we talk again, take care and may god bless.

Best regards,

Dave Glissmeyer,
Founder and Special Projects Assistant to the new CEO of ProTel NetWorks who is now John Chase!