In late November PVLD lost one of our staunch supporters and a true Friend, Ted Paulson. Ted was a retired Army Major General who devoted countless hours to the library, serving in many capacities. I was honored to be asked to speak at Ted's memorial service this past weekend. Here is what I said...but words truly can't express the difference Ted made to the Palos Verdes Library District or how deeply I valued his friendship and support:
Ted Paulson not only was a steadfast support of our Palos Verdes libraries, but a friend and mentor to me, and to many library employees and volunteers.
His involvement with the Library District spanned many years and two periods of service on the Board of Directors of the Peninsula Friends of the Library, including terms as Vice President and President, between which he served as a publicly-elected member of the Board of Library Trustees – including terms as Secretary, Vice President, and President of that body.
Ted also served as Chair of the Peninsula Center Library Advisory Committee, member of the PVLD Strategic Planning Committee, and book sale volunteer….not to mention supporting Pat during her involvement with the Friends, which included a term as President.
Ted was a born leader, something that the Army recognized very early when he was commissioned as an Officer in the National Guard at the age of 19 – two years before he was even eligible to wear his bars!
He started his military career as an enlisted man, and made a deliberate choice to remain in the Guard rather than following a more traditional route to military leadership via the ROTC. I understand that it is quite unusual for someone with that background to become a General Officer – another indication of Ted’s leadership ability.
I mention Ted’s military service because it was so much a part of who he was, and as such really influenced how he served the library and the community. Some of that influence was obvious, like his firm belief in protocol, formal planning processes and documented policies and procedures. Or how he could assert his leadership in a very commanding way when someone challenged him or was disrespectful to a staff member or volunteer. Or his tolerance for lengthy meetings and endless cups of bad coffee. He also had no problem giving direction, and I used to joke that Ted sometimes forgot that I was not his Aide de Camp, as it was not uncommon for him to turn to me in a meeting and order me to “write that down”.
A less obvious, but to me equally important legacy of Ted’s military background was his concern for the welfare of the library equivalent of the enlisted man or woman – the frontline employees and volunteers. In my nearly 8 years of working with Ted in various capacities he could be relied upon to always take into consideration the impact of decisions and actions on the people who actually do the work. After his death I heard many stories from employees about his care and concern for them whether it was a giving a quiet word of encouragement to a new employee, stopping in to say hello to members of the administrative staff when he was at the library, remembering to check in regularly with an employee going through a very difficult family situation, or advising an employee whose son was enlisting in the Army. Not every PVLD employee had the opportunity to get to know Ted personally, but those who did loved him.
All of these attributes contributed to the key role Ted played in bringing PVLD through a period of conflict and turbulence and re-establishing the library as an important, valuable and valued community resource.
Some of his influence was informal and behind the scenes - helping recruit suitable candidates for the Board of Library Trustees, providing advice and counsel to the Library Director and colleagues on both Boards, and using his many community connections to build support for the library.
Some of his influence was more overt – participating in the final settlement of the lawsuits related to the Peninsula Center Library construction and then leading the process of remediating the building defects; participating in the difficult process of consolidating two fundraising organizations into one, and then providing leadership to the Friends as they began the transition to a more broadly-based fundraising organization; leading the development of a community relations plan and then personally going to City Council meetings and other venues to give presentations about the library and reassure the community that past issues were in fact past.
Ted wasn’t just a leader, though. He was also someone who could be relied upon to roll up his sleeves and pitch in where needed. When no one else volunteered to set up and tear down the Friends’ booth at community celebrations, Ted did it. When the book sale volunteers needed help picking up a big donation, Ted was there. When no one stepped up lead a committee, Ted would.
Lastly, for me personally and for many others, Ted was a mentor and a true friend. From the early days of our working relationship, when Ted was President of the Board of Trustees and therefore the one of my five bosses that I worked with most closely, Ted was there when I needed him for advice or counsel about something happening in my job. After he moved from the Library Board to the Friends Board we no longer had that boss-employee dynamic, but he remained a trusted advisor and confidante. About once a month we would get together – for lunch at the Red Onion if we were just catching up, or for breakfast “off the hill” at Coco’s if we wanted to talk about a particular issue or concern. In between he was always available if I needed to talk. I still catch myself wanting to pick up the phone to call him, or thinking that an incoming “caller id blocked” call is from him, because they usually were.
Through Ted my husband Don and I got to know Pat, and to learn a bit about their family. He was so proud of his children and grandchildren, and valued the time he spent with all of you…he especially talked about his travels with Pat and their car trips with grandchildren to visit the California missions.
Ted cared about his career, and his community work, and the library….but he always knew what was most important - his marriage and his family.
I know I am not alone in saying that Ted taught me more than I could ever express here – about leadership, and being engaged with your community, and most importantly about keeping first things first.
Pat and family, thank you for sharing Ted with us. He is leaving a tremendous legacy both because of his role in making the Palos Verdes Library District the thriving institution it is today and because of the lives he touched. We will all miss him.
Ted - RIP, and thank you.
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