The following guest column was written by Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer.

Spending time with our families on the Thanksgiving holiday allows for a pause from the fast pace of our daily lives.
There is nothing like precious time spent with our families and friends to slow down the hectic routine that we needlessly inflict upon ourselves. It is also a time to reflect on what we are thankful for and put everything else into perspective.
Those thoughts also apply to my job as mayor of Warsaw, as I finish my fifth year in City Hall. Sometimes appreciating all of the assets of this great community gets a little clouded by the complexities of running the city. But when you stand back and look at our growth and positive achievments, it’s a little hard to not be humbled by the human resources that define our community.
Earlier this week several hundred business and community leaders gathered to shape and refine a shared vision for our future at the Community Conversation 3.0. I am most thankful for the active participation of a broad range of interests that continually come together to affect positive change in our community. Be it conversation, a community-focused planning workshop, or a project that engages the public (i.e. Stellar) , we are fortunate to have citizenry that clearly has interest in the well-being of the entire community ahead of any special interests.    
We are also very thankful for a diverse workforce that supports commerce in our community. Skilled machinists, engineers, and administrative and professional support services are the backbone of our high tech manufacturing industry as well as other professional and specialized workers who support our health care, retail and service industry sectors.
Our community is also fortunate to have collaborative leadership from our local primary, secondary, vocational and undergraduate schools, as well as graduate opportunities. With STEM and vocational focus, our local educational resources prepare students for diverse professional and vocational career paths relevant to our local industry. Those programs keep our talent local, encourage innovation and are the envy of many communities.
Finally, I couldn’t be more thankful for every single employee that serves our city. Managed by very capable department heads, consider what our employees accomplish every day for the citizens of our community!
Our employees manage very complex municipal finances with precision and transparency. They labor hard, often in adverse conditions, to maintain our roads and remove trash. They risk their lives to provide public safety services of police and fire protection, as well as medical first response.
They maintain beautiful park space and create endless recreational opportunities for our citizens. They work tirelessly to provide honorable burial space for our loved ones. They maintain an effective wastewater sanitary system. They protect our property and lakes with effective storm water management.
They oversee building safety and strive for an orderly planning and development process. They provide first-class aviation services for the benefit of our corporate community. We also strive to manage our human resources to nurture the productivity of all of the diverse municipal services we provide.
It is a simple lesson. It applies to everyone. Be thankful for what you have accomplished, recognize the contributions of everyone, and don’t take anyone's contribution for granted.