In September of 1980, Terry DeLaPorte pursued his calling and set out to build an organization focused on helping individuals and organizations fulfill their potential. It was evident to everyone who knew Terry that he was a man on fire — consumed with reaching this goal. He would often share a quote from Jay Carty that typified his approach to business and personal life:

"If every morning your banker credited your account with $86,400 but every evening canceled whatever part of the amount you failed to invest, what would you do? Invest every cent - of course! Well, you have such an account - it is called time. Every day you are credited with 86,400 seconds. At midnight, whatever you failed to invest is lost forever. A balance is not carried over to the next day and you are not allowed over-drafts. Each day the bank called Time opens a new account with you. Each night it burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours." Arguably, this relentless time management and laser focus is what enabled Terry to accomplish so much in his short yet intense fifty seven years.

Terry was great at what he did, in part because he loved to help his clients achieve success. He had a stake in their dreams and possessed the passion to help those dreams become realities. He understood, more than most of his contemporaries, that a constant focus on helping clients solve problems, aspire, and achieve their goals would inevitably help DeLaPorte achieve its own goals. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he saw the goals as intertwined. “Our business is helping their business,” he would say.

Having succumbed to pancreatic cancer on September 20, 2004 after a hard-fought four-month battle, we are left with irrepressible memories. We miss him dearly, in so many small and large ways; from the larger-than-life aura he possessed and the noble vision he had for human development, to the wisdom he conveyed in each encounter we had with him.

To the thousands around the country and across the globe who showered the family with encouragement and condolences we are so grateful. Terry often commented, “The ultimate measure
of a leader is legacy.” This has been true for eons, and it will prove true again here.

While no one can compare to Terry or fill his shoes (nor would anyone be foolish enough to strive to do so), his DNA is ever-present in our business plans, our structure, our values, our product line, our services, our selection criteria for new employees, and every imaginable realm of our business.