Page 290 - Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My work life as an entrepreneur, investment banker, board member, and
author can get downright chaotic sometimes. But no matter how far I’ve
traveled or how crazy my day has been, there’s one particular image I can
conjure at will that always has a way of grounding me and bringing me back
to what matters most to me. It’s an image of my family—the people I love
more than anything else in life. There’s my beautiful wife Cristina who
edited and improved my early drafts and supported me every step of the
way. Her grace, wit, and wisdom never cease to delight and inspire me. For
that, and so much more, this book is dedicated to her.
Then there are my four precious children—Olivia, Sterling, step-
daughter Amparo, and my youngest, Paloma—who are the center of my
universe and the reason I get up every morning. I am so proud to know
each of these amazing young people, and I’m incredibly honored to be their
Dad.
Special thanks to my mother, Marilyn McCarthy Garcia, whose
commitment to education, not only to mine but also to the hundreds of
other children she taught in her 22-year career as a seventh grade science
teacher in the public schools, has inspired me to never stop learning and
expanding my world view. Mom helped select the title for this book, and,
along with her best friend, James “Spike” Lay, they cheered me on every
step of the way, just as they always do. My gratitude for my mother is
immeasurable, just as it is for my late father, Dr. Carlos A. Garcia, who
served in the 1970s as the Republic of Panama’s surgeon general. My
father taught me what it means to serve others honorably and to be a true
leader.
And although they too have been gone for many years, the images
of my grandparents Estanislado and Virginia Garcia in Panama, and

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