Closing Remarks to the National Conference of Christians and Jews Annual Meeting April 2,1990

PRESENTED BY IRA A. LIPMAN
NATIONAL CHAIRMAN
N.C.C.J.
CHAIRMAN AND PRESIDENT GUARDSMARK, INC.

THE NEW YORK HILTON
NEW YORK, NEW YORK

OUR PROGRANLMING IMPROVED DRAMATICALLY, AND IT GAINED IN STRENGTH AND DEPTH AT THE SAME TIME THAT IT EXPANDED TO ENCOUNTER NEWLY DEFINED ISSUES AND PROBLEMS.

WITH HER HEART AND SOUL, PASSION AND ENERGY, COMMITMENT AND CONCERN, JACQUELINE BREATHED NEW LIFE INTO THIS CONFERENCE. SHE TRAVELED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES, CRISSCROSSING THE CONTINENT TO RAISE FUNDS, HIRE REGIONAL DIRECTORS, CONFER WITH PRESIDENTS, MEET WITH SCHOOLCHILDREN, AND SPEAK TO MORE GROUPS THAN SHE PROBABLY CARES TO REMEMBER.

HER ABILITY TO DRIVE THIS ORGANIZATION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NEARLY SO GREAT HAD SHE NOT BELIEVED SO DEEPLY IN ITS GOALS. SHE ENRICHED NCCJ WITH HER SKILLS AS ADMINISTRATOR AND EXECUTIVE, BUT IT IS HER FORCE OF SPIRIT AND PERSONAL DYNAMISM THAT SET HER APART AND MAKE HER TRULY GREAT.

THE STAFF SINGS HER PRAISES AS MANAGER AND TEACHER, BECAUSE SHE INSISTS THAT IN EVERY DIFFICULTY THERE IS A LESSON TO BE LEARNED. SHE CAN CRITIQUE WITHOUT BEING CRITICAL, AND SHE KNOWS THAT INDEPENDENCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY ARE INSEPARABLE.

MANY PEOPLE MAY WONDER IF SHE WAS TOO TOUGH, IF SHE DEMANDED TOO MUCH. BUT WE’LL REMEMBER HER AND KNOW HER BY HER WORKS: THAT SHE TOOK THIS ORGANIZATION AND PREPARED IT FOR THE CHALLENGES OF THE 21ST CENTURY. AND SHE DID IT WITH ALL THE LOVE THAT A NUN FEELS FOR THE CHILDREN ENTRUSTED TO HER CARE, AND ALL THE FORESIGHT AND CONCERN OF A COLLEGE PRESIDENT WHO PRESERVES THE PAST TO ENSURE THE FUTURE.

JACQUELINE GRENNAN WEXLER HAS BEEN THE SOUL OF THIS CONFERENCE. WHERE WILL WE FIND ANOTHER LIKE HER? SOMEONE AS COMPETITIVE AS DIZZY DEAN, AS HUMANITARIAN AS MOTHER TERESA, AND AS BOTTOM LINE ORIENTED AS LEE IACOCCA?

[TURN TO JACQUELINE WEXLER] JACQUELINE, YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED MANY NOTABLE AND PRAISEWORTHY DEEDS IN YOUR LIFE BUT THE GREATEST IS WHAT YOU ACHIEVED AT NCCJ. WE-AND OUR COUNTRY-OWE YOU A DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.

WE WILL TRY TO PAY THAT DEBT BEFORE YOU LEAVE US ON DECEMBER 31. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF OUR CELEBRATION OF YOU-OF WHAT YOU ARE AND OF WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED. THERE WILL BE MANY OTHER CELEBRATIONS IN YOUR HONOR THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS THE LAST TIME THAT YOU, JACQUELINE, WILL STAND HERE IN FRONT OF THE TRUSTEES AS OUR NATIONAL PRESIDENT.

[TURN TO AUDIENCE]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET US HONOR AND EMBRACE JACQUELINE WITH THE SAME HEART AND SOUL, PASSION AND ENERGY, COMMITMENT AND CONCERN, THAT SHE HAS SHOWN TO US AND TO THIS GREAT CONFERENCE.