Finding America's Greatest Champion: Building Prosperity Through Manufacturing, Mentoring and the Awesome Responsibility of Parenting

This 300-page book chronicles a unifying theme which points to all those who “Dream Differently,” the title of a book authored by Dr. Vince Bertram, one of more than 40 professionals I interviewed. Personalities include NHRA 8x top fuel Champion Tony Schumacher, four-time Emmy winning director Don Dupree, NFL play-by-play announcer Wayne Larrivee, author Nicole Martin, entrepreneurs like PreHeels inventor Dana Ward and AirHook inventor Craig Rabin, as well as many executives, elite athletes, parents, media personalities, and leaders in manufacturing, education and politics. The book’s foreword is written by former Walgreens CEO Greg D. Wasson. Finding America’s Greatest Champion honors people who earn their living designing, engineering, tinkering and dreaming of making things. I hope to influence the perception of manufacturing in education, and in the minds of young people and their parents. Equally important, I want people to know they have choices and that some young people can excel in manufacturing beyond their wildest dreams.Parents have a huge responsibility with their children and guiding them into a promising career. Each child has different talents, interests, and motivations. Our young people also need more than ever to be mentored by leaders in our business world and industries. Not all parents and grandparents are aware of the dramatic shift that is happening in the market. The retirement of massive numbers of baby boomers has left a void in many technical positions especially in the trades and in manufacturing positions. The need and opportunities are there for the next generation to step into and earn a great wage, in exciting and challenging careers. The age old premise that a 4-5 year college degree is not as valid as it once was. So many young people hinder the start of their early adult life with a mountain of student debt. This is a dramatic problem for the next generation. Technical skill sets can be obtained in a dramatically shorter time frame as well as a significant lower cost. This many times can align with a young person's interests, and also the manner in which they learn. They can be out in the working world years earlier, with little or no debt independent and on their way to a successful career. This book is meant to appeal to students, parents, educators and guidance counselors and industry members. Each group can get something out of the book to be better informed as to how to guide and support our next generation of leaders in our country.