It's rare to see Curtis Janey without big smile and projecting high energy when you see him out and about. He works the nightshift as a supervisor of an award-winning environmental services team at Berkshire Medical Center, which gives him time during the day to do what he loves to do in our community. Whether it's putting in the work to help save and grow the Unity Church of the Berkshires on Elm Street, or serving as the president of Kiwanis Club and organizing this year's Park of Honor for veterans and those who serve the community. Curtis was a US Marine for a dozen years, serving in Desert Storm before settling in the Berkshires to raise a family with his late wife, Susan. We cover a lot of ground in this episode including: growing up in Brockton as one of 11 siblings, going to a high school with 6,000 students, his early days singing, and later as a staple singing the national anthem at Wahconah Park and at other venues, that time he met Susan at a camp in Old Orchard Beach and a fateful sunburn that brought them a little closer, this nation's failure in helping veterans readapt to civilian life and failing to address astronomical suicide rates among returning veterans, the devastating loss of his wife Susan a decade ago and how support from friends and the community helped support his family through such a difficult time, Curtis' spirituality, the power of power naps, leadership, humility in managing people and much more.
I hope you'll enjoy my conversation with Curtis Janey.