Alumni United Spotlight: George Gomez

When did you first start supporting United Way?
Once I became an employee of DTE I started donating to United Way some 40 years ago. They made donating so easy with payroll deductions.

What was your first job?
If I don’t count cutting lawns and having a paper route than working as a shoe salesmen for Florsheim Shoes in downtown Detroit would count as my first job as a co-op student.

What was your most memorable volunteering experience?
I’ve been blessed with so many volunteer experiences through DTE, United Way, Optimist Club and the Greening of Detroit that I can’t say one experience stands out.

What has been the most surprising part of retirement or what are you looking forward to in retirement?
I’ve come to realize that retirement is the new job and one has to work just as hard at it to be successful.

Who inspires you?
So many people along the way have inspired me but currently it’s Dr. Berry who at 79 years of age is still planting trees as a volunteer and makes me work way too hard to keep up.

What is your favorite quote or the mantra you live by?
A line in the Optimist Creed stands out for me. “To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.”

What was your favorite toy growing up?
GI Joes come to mind.