Plato was right, "Being good is the eternal enemy of being the best." But being good is not enough for those who would be the best. "Greensboro Connects" is the story of one city's determination to rise above the mediocrity of the times. Ours is a story of power and connections. Think about it … Think about:

The Power of the Individual
We see it every day. Some individual has an idea and the energy to nurture that idea, the enthusiasm to talk to anyone - everyone - about that idea, and then the determination to make that idea becomes a dynamic entity.

• And so the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro becomes a $65 million enterprise providing financial support for hundreds of programs throughout our city, because one person - Cynthia Doyle - had an idea.
• Guilford Day School becomes an exceptional learning center for children with attention deficit disorder because one individual - Rita Rice Ledford - had an idea.
• The need for low-income housing was apparent to many, but one person - Vic Nussbaum - had an idea.
• Our city was struggling and strangling due to various expressions of racial injustice and misunderstanding. But one individual - Nettie Coad - had an idea.

Greensboro's examples of the power of the individual to move and shake a community are many.

The Power of the Group
We have also witnessed the incredible power demonstrated by the vision of Greensboro individuals who come together to create new solutions for the community. The Social Capital Study told us that our favorite social occasions involved volunteer work. Greensboro may not "schmooze" as much as other cities, but our social interactions often lead to visions for making a difference, and those often result in ACTIONS that demonstrate to the nation the Power of the Group.

1. Greensboro citizens need look no further than our historic roots in the values of the Quaker faith that led Greensboro to unique moments in history when our forefathers became some of the first to join in the efforts of the Underground Railroad.
2. Think too of that legendary moment when a brave and courageous group of students from North Carolina A&T and Bennett staged the first in a series of peaceful protests later known as the "Sit-ins" of the Civil Rights Movements.
3. One small group of people, after being released from their jobs, were so convinced of their ideas that they created the world's premier cell phone integrated circuits. We thank Bill Pratt, Jerry Neal and Powell Seymour for the R.F. Micro Devices we know today.
4. How proud we are that Greensboro became the first community to welcome a Krispy Kreme store owned by a not-for-profit organization, Project Homestead.
5. Today, Action Greensboro and the revitalization of our economy and downtown can be attributed directly to the vision and the power of a group - like the Bryan, Cemala, Weaver and other community foundations - and their boards, who work together under an absolute commitment to "connect" to those in city and county government and to other agencies and volunteers to enhance existing programs and create new ones. And so we have Greensboro Connects, a movement that will inspire and infuse our new spirit of involvement.

The Power of the Community
Shakespeare may have been describing Greensboro when he wrote Coriolanus and included the lines, "What is a City but its People." Mr. Shakespeare, Greensboro stands as a strong example of the Power of the Community. Early on, this commitment led to the preservation of beauty, green space and an environment that now offers more than 170 parks and recreational facilities, including 27 metropolitan golf courses. In this, we are the envy of cities across the country.

For more than 100 years, Greensboro has cultivated its proud tradition as a center of education and learning for all citizens. We host more than 40,000 college students each year, many of whom may be the first in their families to attend college.

Greensboro is the only city in North Carolina with two state universities, and we have three private colleges as well as a leading community college campus. We are recognized for our diversity and for our ability to embrace people of all cultures. Designated as the Welcome Center for new North Carolinians, our schools serve students from 123 different countries who speak 82 different languages and dialects. The Glenwood branch of our wonderful public library system is designed specifically to serve our international population.

With more than 900 places of worship, Greensboro serves as home to every faith, and this commitment to caring results in a nationally recognized legacy in giving, volunteering and "connecting." Yes, Mr. Shakespeare, or whoever you are, "What is a city but its people?"!

For years, Greensboro has had strengths in business, transportation and infrastructure. However, as important as these strengths are, it is most important to remember that our strengths today, just as in years past, are based on the one value we hold most dear - our "Connection" to each other. For therein lies our power; a power we will prove to the world:

The power of the individual
The power of the group
The power of the community.