It’s time to say thanks to the dedicated public servants that helped our Fellows navigate City Hall and champion our mission. And to the Cities that opened their doors, their minds, and their databases to the 2012 Fellows.
When I first heard I was going to Honolulu, I thought, “That’s amazing! The beach, surfing, exploring the jungle is going to be so much fun!” Whenever I told someone my assigned Code for America city was Honolulu I would get a reaction anywhere from shock to outright jealousy.
Now, looking back on the year, the highlight isn’t the beach. It isn’t the surf or the food. Those things were amazing and are worthy reasons to go to Honolulu, but the highlight was the people we got to know and work with. We worked with smart, committed, and fun people.
Our city contact, Forest Frizzell, is an outstanding person. He, at the same time, helped us navigate city government, engage the community, and guide us through the rich culture of Hawaii. Forest’s help was invaluable. It doesn’t stop there. Burt Lum helped us navigate the tech community, introduced us to countless people, and helped us find users for our applications. There were countless others. So many helpful and welcoming people came to our events.
So the next time someone asks about the sun and the surf, I’ll smile knowing the true highlight of Honolulu is the people.
Questions? Comments? Hit us up @codeforamerica.
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