Author Archives: Rusty Rueff

About Rusty Rueff

Rusty Rueff, author of purposed worKING. Rusty Rueff is the former Chairman Emeritus of The GRAMMY Foundation in Los Angeles. He most recently completed the successful 16 month leadership role as Coordinating National Co-Chair for Technology for Obama (T4O) for the reelection of President Obama and ten-years of Board service and President of the Board of Trustees of the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Corporately, most recently Rueff was the Chief Executive Officer at SNOCAP, Inc. until the acquisition of the company by imeem, Inc. in April 2008. Before joining SNOCAP in 2005, he was Executive Vice President of Human Resources at Electronic Arts (EA) from 1998 until 2005. He was also with the PepsiCo companies for more than ten years, with the Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies for two years, and in commercial radio as an on-air personality for six years. Rusty holds an M.S. in counseling and a B.A. in radio and television from Purdue University. In 2003 he was named a distinguished Purdue alumnus, and he and his wife, Patti, are the named benefactors of Purdue’s Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Visual and Performing Arts. He is a corporate director of Glassdoor.com and runcoach. He is the co-founder and Executive Committee Member of T4A.org, serves on the Founding Circle of The Centrist Project and a founding Board Member of The GRAMMY Music Education Coalition. He is also the co-author of the book Talent Force: A New Manifesto for the Human Side of Business. Rusty and his wife, Patti, reside in Hillsborough, CA and Charlestown, R.I.

day 2876: Thank You For Being A Friend

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“Jonathan, David’s uncle, was a wise counselor to the king, a man of great insight, and a scribe.  Jehiel the Hacmonite was responsible for teaching the king’s sons. Ahithophel was the royal adviser. Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend.”

When in times of trouble, what can we do to be a good friend, especially when all there is to really offer is to pray for the overcoming of their challenges?  We have this going on now with a number of friends who have evacuated from their homes in Napa Valley and are just waiting to see what happens with the Glass Fire, which is still burning uncontrollably as of this morning.  I have been praying for the winds to subside and the fire to be contained, but there isn’t anything else I can do to help.  But, last night I felt the need to just pick up the phone and call, if for nothing else to offer my support.  It seemed too little to do, but it was received in a huge way.  We think we have nothing to offer, but let’s consider that the very “least” we can now do is text and be on social media together in support.  So, the next step up is to make the effort and pick up the phone and make voice contact.  In this case, it made a difference as the voices on the other end of the phone were so appreciative.  As the song goes, maybe, “that’s what friends are for.”

The Bible calls out the importance of friendship throughout the Old and New Testaments. Recently, I was struck as I was reading in 1 Chronicles that within the description of King David’s “cabinet”, that Hushai the Arkite was listed with the best attribution of all: “the king’s friend.”  You see, by just being a friend we can be demonstrating the love of God to others.

Reference: 1 Chronicles 27: 32-33  (New Living Translation)