We’ve all heard the saying
that the journey of a thousand miles starts with a
single step. Sometimes that single step is as simple as
the vision of one individual that sets off a series of
events that creates relationships and ties groups of
people together to create something wonderful to
benefit a community. This is exactly the scenario that has
occurred in Loudoun County in the town of Purcellville.
As the director of Information
Technology for the Town of Leesburg, I am often asked
for guidance, advice or insight regarding technology
projects not only in Leesburg, but in other localities
as well. Although I am the director in Leesburg, I am a
new resident of the town of Purcellville; a charming
town of 6,000 people in western Loudoun County.
I had heard that preservation,
particularly historical preservation, was important in
Purcellville. I was intrigued by a group called the
Purcellville Preservation Association (PPA) and as a
history lover, wanted to know more about what this
group was doing. I decided to research what they were
all about, but their website provided very little
information. In early October, I was introduced to a member
of the PPA, Don Kraper, who also was a new resident to
Purcellville, Don shared with me his vision to create a
new website that could be used not only to showcase the
historical landmarks and properties in Purcellville,
but also create a sense of community and a draw for
potential day trippers to our town. He had the vision
and I eagerly jumped in to help begin the thousand mile
journey.
As I began this journey, I thought
of the movie Pay It Forward. The concept of
“paying it forward” has three components;
the first is that what you are doing or creating must
really help someone. The second component is that what
you are doing is something that the person or group that
you are helping can not do by themselves and lastly,
you help an individual or organization and they, in
turn, help other individuals or organizations.
