I have known Chuck for longer than either of us wants to acknowledge. He has been a tireless supporter and a good friend. Here is his retirement message:
After 42+ years of being part of the parking industry, I have decided to retire (I prefer the term planned unemployment) at the end of the year. I will, of course, fulfill any obligations for projects currently underway.
I entered the parking business as a cashier hoping to earn enough money so I could continue my education. Since that first night in the booth, I have never stopped learning. I learned that a revenue control system is not a substitute for management. I learned that customers are not always right but they must leave the facility thinking they are. I learned that for every parking action, there is an equal and opposite parking reaction.
I will miss seeing a precast double tee being positioned onto a new garage. I will miss the smell of fresh asphalt being laid onto a new lot. I will miss the sound of a coin dropping into a meter’s coin canister. I will miss the glare of the overhead lights as it reflects off the roof of vehicles parked beneath. I will miss the silence as I explain to a supervisor how the cashiers are able to steal money regularly from their facility. Yes, I will miss a lot of those things but, most of all, I will miss the many friends that I have made during the years.
I will maintain an association with The Integrity Group so my e-mail address will remain active. If you have need for parking consulting services, I trust you will consider them for the assignment.
I close with the words of J. Alfred Prufrock:
No! I am not Prince Hamlet, nor was meant to be;
Am an attendant lord, one that will do
To swell a progress, start a scene or two,
Advise the prince; no doubt, an easy tool,
Deferential, glad to be of use,
Politic, cautious, and meticulous;
Full of high sentence, but a bit obtuse;
At times, indeed, almost ridiculous –
Almost, at times, the Fool.
Chuck Cullen Senior Associate – Parking Advisory Services
All the best, Chuck
JVH
