Page 19 - TX811 2022 issue 4

line operational F-22 squadrons. He won multiple awards for flying excellence and was promoted to the rank of full-Colonel.
Who knows how to rapidly assess, respond, and adapt under extreme pressure better than a Top Gun fighter pilot? Cujo is also a husband, a father of five children, and a cancer survivor.
You do not get to Cujo’s level without doing the work and prepping yourself to win at all costs. He reveals that even though his military career was taking off, he was failing in other dimensions of his life. One day he realized that if he applied his elite training to his health and family, he would dominate across the board.
Following a riveting presentation, he made his first book “Debrief to Win” available to all attendees, then made himself available to autograph the book for more than 2 hours as one-by-one attendees stood in line for the opportunity to share their story.
If ever you have missed a chance to be inspired, this was one of those chances.
Great sessions followed the keynote, and the exhibit hall jumped with excitement as new exhibitors and first-time attendees connected to learn about new equipment, software and services.
Additionally, this year, Planet Underground and Texas811 partnered to bring The Roundtable to the Texas811 Damage Prevention Summit where all stakeholders in the underground utility world were assembled for a non-scripted, honest conversation about what’s happening in the industry.
For those of you who may not know, the Roundtable is a series of four-person unscripted conversations focusing on the risk of excavation damage to underground utilities. Seated at tables face to face, participants from various parts of the utility industry discuss strategies designed to protect workers and the public from potentially catastrophic excavation-related accidents.
Each session is themed and begins with a moderator’s toss-up question, but where the conversation ultimately leads is up to the participants. They may not always agree, but they always meet in the middle with their honest and insightful thoughts regarding excavation safety.
At the DPC of Texas awards luncheon, regional damage prevention leaders were recognized,
and the luncheon concluded by awarding John Cannon, Mears Group Safety Manager as this year’s Andy Hoel award winner. Check out this issue to see all the award winners.
Feedback from attendees and exhibitors alike were “off the chart” positive and with a resolve to attend next year’s Summit scheduled for October 4 – 6, 2023 at the Sheraton Austin Georgetown Hotel and Conference Center. We look forward to seeing you there!
2022, Issue 4 Texas811 • 17