Southface Journal Winter 2004 - 2004 Visionary Dinner fundraiser


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Tales of the
Visionary Dinner

When Southface learned of Fetzer Vineyard’s commitment to sustainability, the Visionary Dinner seemed an obvious opportunity to engage this environmentally conscious company with our organization. The Visionary Dinner convenes the evening before Southface’s annual Greenprints Conference, and brings together Atlanta’s business and environmental leaders to envision a sustainable future for our economy and our environment. When Fetzer President Paul Dolan saw the caliber of Visionary Dinner speakers and supporters we had entertained from 1999 to 2001– Ray Anderson, Chairman, Interface, Inc.; Paul Hawken, co-founder, Smith & Hawken and author, Ecology of Commerce; Amory Lovins, founder, Rocky Mountain Institute and William McDonough, architect and author Cradle to Cradle – he was pleased to participate as a donating sponsor. Fetzer’s parent company, Brown-Forman Beverages Worldwide, also brought great support through marketing efforts.

The first two years that Fetzer participated in the Visionary Dinner, Dolan’s busy schedule prevented him from personally attending. Brown-Forman Vice President and Southeast Region General Manager Chris Poulos wished he had, saying, “Paul is such a dynamic speaker and is so passionate about the Southface mission. “I knew I had to get him together with the folks at Southface to brainstorm some ways to really grow the Visionary Dinner experience.” During a spring 2002 trip to Atlanta, Poulos finally arranged a meeting. Over dinner, sparks began to fly as Jules Paulk, Southface Project Manager for the Visionary Dinner, shared her past experiences as a California chef with Dolan.

Title Sponsor
The Home Depot Foundation

Sponsors —
Atlantic Station, LLC

Business to Business Magazine

Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc.

Jacoby Development, Inc.

Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce

Serenbe Community

SunTrust

They knew many people in common, including Fetzer Culinary Director, Chef John Ash. As they discussed Fetzer’s sustainable agricultural practices, it wasn’t long before the Visionary Dinner was set on a new course. Not only would the dinner bring together Atlanta’s business and environmental communities to hear a visionary message, the meal would become part of the message itself. Featuring bio-regional foods that are sustainably harvested, Paulk and Dolan envisioned a grand collaboration between wine country chefs and talented Atlanta culinary experts. If you attended the 2003 Visionary Dinner, you know that they succeeded in their efforts to invite our guests to “Savor the Sustainable Table.”

Paul Dolan

The 2004 Visionary Dinner segues perfectly from the 2003 event. Dolan’s new book, True to Our Roots: Fermenting a Business Revolution, has just been released to great acclaim. Recently named by Fast Company among its Top 20 “Books that Matter.” True to Our Roots outlines six principles of sustainable leadership for any business. As Dolan recounts his transformation of the Fetzer family business, his passion for the environment and dedication to a successful business permeate through the book. Using examples from the California wine country, he captures the following contexts for leadership:
• Your company’s culture is determined by the context you create for it.
• Your business is part of a much larger system.
• True power is living what you know.
• The soul of your company is found in the hearts of its people.
• You can’t predict the future but you can create it.
• There is a way to make an idea’s time come.

Join us on March 17 at the 2004 Visionary Dinner to hear first hand how to create your own business revolution. Visionary Dinner tickets are available online at www.southface.org. Paul Dolan will sign copies of True to Our Roots at a special pre-dinner reception for sponsors and corporate table patrons. For information on sponsorship or corporate table sales, call 404/872-3549, extension 124. Ever wondered what sustainability tastes like? Paul Dolan knows. Uncork. Savor. Understand. Adopt, and adapt.