Tomorrow, Joel is leaving Kalmbach's events marketing team for sunny San Diego. To send him off, Jane and I came up with a list of our favorite things about him.
10. His smile. In addition to having nice teeth (or maybe because he has nice teeth?), Joel is always smiling.
9. His gratitude. I offered to help him once when his car broke down, and he thanked me profusely even though he already had the situation under control.
8. His presence at the Bead&Button Show. He puts the "pec" in "specialist," always helping teachers and vendors carry things and get set up in their rooms or booths.
7. His generosity. He'll offer to lend you his box set of Felicity or It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
6. His adorable obsession with Olivia Newton-John.
5. His commitment to his friends. This weekend, he was researching Etsy and boutique options to help a friend market her jewelry.
4. Eating at the Chancery with him: he (almost) always gets the King Louie wrap with fruit. Rarely with fries.
3. His taste in restaurants: last year's Master Class Dinner at Tenuta's was excellent.
2. His ability to make you feel like a million bucks. Joel gives me flowers every year on my birthday (my boyfriend doesn't even do that!).
1. His thoughtfulness. When Jane appeared in a newspaper story about Kalmbach, Joel laminated the article for her as a memento.
We'll miss Joel a lot — and not just for the terrific work he did. If you have a favorite story about Joel or want to wish him well, feel free to post a comment!