Name: Bill Hancock
Position: CFP Exec Dir
Age: 66
Where I’m from: Hobart, OK
Where I call home: Dallas and Prairie Village, Kan.
Focusing on right now: Now that the selection committee’s work is complete -- and we feel very good about the job they did, by the way -- we are focused on the games themselves. Our top priority is the schools. The students are our moral compass. If we do what’s right for the students, we will have a successful event.
Best advice: Treat people the way you want to be treated. We tend to over-complicate life, when we really should stick with simple messages like the ol’ Golden Rule, which is still meaningful 2,000 years after it was created.
A must for a new hire: Because of the prestige of our event, we can be selective. We insist on people of high integrity who care about each other and who can be utility infielders -- unselfish and happy to play any position.
Person I admire: The senior pastor at our church, GAYLA RAPP. She survived a stroke and, although it took away her ability to read, she still preaches almost every Sunday and runs an excellent shop.
Best book I’ve read: I am a big fan of JAMES MICHENER. I re-read “Texas” and it still holds that magic. I must confess that I also re-read my own book, “Riding with the Blue Moth” for the first time since about five years ago. I have talked to other authors about reading their stuff, and they all said the same thing: “It’s actually better than I thought it was.”
First thing in the morning: The first thing I do is check my email. Then I scan the news on slate.com, NPR, ESPN.com, Google News, the New York Times and USA Today. Do I need to get a life, or what?
Talking tech: It’s not exactly technology, but I love Microsoft Excel. I’m actually pretty decent with it. And I still can’t believe I can type a friend’s address into my phone and it will appear on my laptop’s contacts in about 30 seconds. I am fascinated by technology and can’t even begin to imagine what remarkable things it will be able to do for us in 10 years.
Must-have music: I must have MOZART. Next would be CHOPIN, then BEETHOVEN and BACH. I’m also a big fan of Broadway music. I could do a one-man version of "Oklahoma!," complete with all the songs and all the dialogue. I could also do "Music Man," "My Fair Lady," "The Sound of Music" and "1776."
Food for thought: I love a good tamale. They’re much easier to find than they were 20 years ago.
How I unwind: I play the piano. I’m lousy at it, so I never play when someone else is within earshot.
Day in the life: My most productive time is between 5:00-7:00am. After I check that email, I go for a bike ride or a long walk. Then hop in the shower and go to work. I appreciate the opportunity to be with our staff and arrive at the office as early as I can. Our people are so bright and energetic. I always learn from them. They tease me about having lunch at the deli in our office building; I’m not big on business lunches. For me, a day is not complete until I have written something -- either an email, or an article or some bit of history. The end of a perfect day would be to spend time with our three grandchildren. They are smart and funny. ANDIE is a high school sophomore and plays in the orchestra. WILLIAM is in eighth grade and is a really talented singer. JACK, the fifth-grader, is brilliant and keeps us on our toes. I cherish those kids.
