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From grade school to college and beyond, I've always held a commitment to my personal health and fitness. At the City of Dallas, even though the City did not have dedicated shower facilities for employees, nevertheless, I was one of only a few employees who would go running during their lunch break and frequently in 100+ degree weather.

As the "wellness concept" was being floated throughout corporate America and within the City of Dallas I was initially very skeptical, because the the health care delivery system in the U.S. is not designed to keep people healthy and fit, or well. Plus, many senior decision makers are not concerned about the cost of health care, because the cost of health care does not have the same impact on highly compensated management and especially senior executive management. Even worse, given that the clear majority of employees and management are morbidly overweight, especially at the City of Dallas and throughout Texas, there was very little interest for anyone to actually create a strategically designed health care delivery system that would actually reduce costs and improve employee health.

I was asked by the HR Director and several senior managers to become a member of the Wellness Program because of my:

(1) personal commitment to health and fitness;

(2) knowledge of health, fitness, and health benefits administration; and

(3) due to my employment within the City's HR Department and my knowledge of and access to the City's health benefits program.

Initially, the Wellness Committee lacked direction or clearly defined objectives; and some senior managers wanted to create a "fitness club" solely for senior managers. I wrote the memorandum (below) to express a pragmatic, linear approach to constructively question and guide the City's wellness initiative.

 

Question: What kind of "team spirit" do I bring to my employer?

Response: I successfully and repeatedly lead teams of City employees in various athletic competitions [5k runs, track meets, fitness festivals, etc.] against other public and private sectors employers in metro Dallas. In one particular event, I ultimately persuaded the City Manager, Charles Anderson, who was not a runner, to run anchor in response to a one-mile relay challenge from another local municipality. I personally guaranteed the City Manager that he would have at least a quarter-mile lead and, yes, my team delivered!

The City Manager literally walked across the finish line, very relaxed and proud of his team of City employees!  In the photo above, the City Manager is noticeably dressed in a suite and tie, and that's me in the middle - surrounded by employees from Fire, Finance, Water, Police, etc. By the way, we also demonstrated the City's public commitment to health and fitness and pride about our place of employment.

 

Click above image to read the original wellness "rap" written by Trip Reynolds

Trip Reynolds created and published, "The Wellness Chronicle" to promote program.