The M3 Weekly

Today, I was fortunate enough to catch up with my colleague and friend Ian Rea in New York visiting from Australia. I thought it appropriate to dedicate this edition to my time in his wonderful country that had a tremendous impact on my life both professionally and personally. Let's get into it.

MUSIC - It was early June 2001 in Townsville, Queensland Australia and our group there for Study Abroad from 美国德克萨斯A&M大学 was just beginning to settle in for our time there. We were very fortunate to have a shuttle bus driver, Malcolm, who was as welcoming as anyone could be and really took us in. Malcolm and his wife were fans of Baz Luhrmann's creative genius through the years and since his new musical Moulin Rouge! was playing in theatres he wanted us to experience that film with him and his wife. So, we did. For Malcolm, this was a way to showcase one of his favorite directors and his country that he loved and fought for as a veteran of the Australian Armed Forces. I will never forget the smile he had from beginning to end of the movie and I will never forget the kindness and hospitality of both Malcolm and his wife. He used music on the big screen as a means to introduce us further to the country he loved so dearly and by doing so opened himself up even more to our group.

MEALS - As a young man growing up in the 1980's and early 1990's in Hueytown, Alabama there was never any talk of sushi and it certainly was not even remotely available as it is today in every corner of our great country. With Asian Pacific influences all over Australia and in Queensland, there were more sushi options in abundance when our Study Abroad group was there. Our group was made up of amazing humans from Texas, California, Indiana, Thailand and Mexico and then there was me - the dude from Hueytown, Alabama. I can remember my first sushi experience that occurred in Australia. While I absolutely enjoyed it and still do to this day, it was touch and go when it comes to more wasabi and ginger than is typically advised. But, I made it through thanks to my wonderful classmates and it was an experience I vividly remember. Sometimes you need the encouragement and knowledge from a larger group to push you past the point of being a bit uncomfortable so you can try something new. Whether it be sushi or anything else in life, seek the power of a group.

MONEY - Our studies in Australia were focused on Real Estate Development and and Sustainability. During our time traveling around Queensland, we met with developers, politicians and other professionals engaged in everything from ecotourism to smart building system development. It was the single most rewarding educational experience of my life. A big part of that was Professor Michael Martin McCarthy who was the most avid outdoorsmen and proponent of smart land management I have ever met even to this day. Professor McCarthy had taught previously in Australia and got to know many of the people in government and business we interacted with. He challenged our group to develop a guiding roadmap for Townsville, Queensland that would make it a global destination for practitioners interested in studying sustainable development. The roadmap was intended to help drive tourism to Townsville through conferences and educational opportunities leveraging the Australian Institute of Marine Science located there. We presented our findings to a large group of leaders in the city at the end of our stay. The thing that made Professor McCarthy different is how he approached the challenge of sustainability through a triple net gain model. He understood you had to drive everyone to the intersection to truly create a net gain economically, environmentally and socially. While money was not the only driver, it absolutely had to be considered. After our stay in Australia I remained connected with Professor McCarthy through the years. He passed away in May 2021 unfortunately. I will leave you with a statement from his keynote address that Queensland Premier Peter Beattie requested he deliver at the historic Queensland Summit on Sustainability and Jobs in 2000 - “Sustainability is only possible when all economic development results in a measurable net gain in environmental well-being.” Thank you Professor McCarthy for your impact on me and your impact on the world we share. You are missed.