Have you ever had moments where you feel like, “This is your life”? You see people from various times and parts of your life converge and meet each other. What once seemed like the recent past now feels so long ago. People look and sound different than you remember—yet enough is the same that memories come flooding back.
That’s what Fortis’ 25th Anniversary celebration was like for me.
I got to visit with Todd McWhirter, whom I met 24 years ago—right when Fortis was running out of money and needed investors. By the grace of God, and literally on Easter Sunday 2001, we met, and he and his group of friends quickly put in the money needed to keep us going. Todd is now 60 and lives in Denver. He served on our board for several years and played a key role in helping us get through those early years. Now his kids are older than we were when we first met.
I spent time with Kathy Johnson, who was the main Fortis reservationist for key years at the end of our time in Atlanta. Most importantly, Kathy introduced me to my wife. We caught up, and my wife, Pam, got to spend the next morning with her—catching up and drinking coffee.
Ryan Judd was there. Ryan worked with Fortis from 2003 to 2011. He would take the phones with him on weekends and answer calls. One time, the entire Fortis team went to my parents’ lake house. Ryan came back to win a late-night game of poker and celebrated by stripping down to his boxer shorts and jumping in the lake. Ryan became an attorney, met his wife, now has three kids, and lives in Columbia. He remains a shareholder.
My dad was there. He made the investment to start Fortis (or at least okayed my mom doing it) and served several years on our board. He has been a shareholder since the beginning. The one time I doubted the idea of Fortis, I called my dad at work, and he simply said, “You raised money and you told people this is what you were going to do. Your job is to do it.” I stopped questioning things and got to work. Those were the words I needed to hear.
My childhood friend and colleague of twenty years, Fortis Chief Momentum Officer Matt Lawrence, was there. He graciously gave me a Bible with the team noting passages they felt applied to me and Fortis. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift. Matt has done finance, sales, reservations, dispatch, and now executive duties. Through it all, he’s been loyal, trustworthy, and selfless.
I was privileged to honor several Fortis team members who have been with us for over ten years.
Jason Gausta started our Reno office and helped our Hong Kong team get through the COVID season. He interviewed and trained all our original India team. Jason was a rock when the chips were down.
Robert Schmidt created the role of facilitator in Saudi Arabia that we are now scaling throughout the world. He did so out of necessity, and his pioneering work is now a model for us globally. I was honored to have him there.
Chris Chow was our first hire in Hong Kong. She’s built and maintained our Asia network. There are several chauffeurs in Asia who would have left the industry were it not for Chris’ efforts. She was steadfast when Hong Kong was under tough quarantine restrictions and the future was uncertain.
Garrick O’Malley is someone I met through friends at a wedding party. I attended a brunch with them, mentioned I needed to hire someone, and they said, “That sounds like Garrick.” Now, eighteen years later, Garrick has worked for Fortis for twelve of those years and now leads Fortis’ global network.
Chris Grant came to Fortis in 2014 and immediately made a positive impact. He started selling and doing reservations for several years before moving into sales full-time. He consistently advocates for our clients, works to make the service better, and has become Director of Client Experience. No one cares more about the quality of our service than Chris.
My wife of 18 years, Pam, was in attendance. She has given me a wonderful home, six kids (two in heaven), and encouragement when the chips were down. Pam even worked trade show booths and painted offices for Fortis before we had kids. She equips me to endure.
I praise God that Fortis has been in existence for 25 years. I praise God that we have worked to His glory for 25 years. I ask God to help us remain faithful to our vision of creating a legacy of service that reflects His masterful care.
And I thank God for people who have endured alongside me. The people I mentioned are just some of those who helped us make it to 25 years.
It was a joy to celebrate the endurance of this business with people who have labored for so long with me.
Soli Deo Gloria