I had a few personal encounters with Blake and also was fortunate to hear him speak at many rec meetings, President Cup awards, and just other general corporate meetings. He asked the tough questions you would expect a CEO to ask but also kept his ears open. He listened for ideas and was humble in that sense. He believed that the ideas from the floor and the employees who were closest to the customer not only mattered but were important. He knew he wasn’t on the front lines everyday and wanted to hear what the customer was telling us who were. He also believed in the personal notes to employees mattered. The personal emails I recieved kept me motivated and are in my “bucket” email folder and will always stay there. He is one of the many reasons I have worked for this company for 14 years. The past few days as a Store Manager I have said at my rallies and on the floor “let’s leave it better than we found it” to honor him and bring it back to the basics that we sometimes forget day to day. Thank you Blake. For giving me a career in an industry I’ve wanted to be in since I was in high school and for everything you did to keep the Nordy spirit going year after year, and for helping me have the opportunities some would take for granted at other companimes. Rest In Peace and may God be with your family during this tough time.