My name is Bruce Hector and I am honored to be a member of the Penny Lane Centers Board of Directors.
My family consists of me and Justina, spouse of 35 years. We are now “out of nesters” with my step-daughter Jacqui (42), mother of 2 sons and office manager for disability evaluation company I created and sold in 2014; son Jason (46) Real Estate Broker and father of my only grand-daughter, Chloe (9) and son, Bruce Jr. (33) formerly employed at PLC but now auto mechanic, camper, snow boarder hopefully to be married soon and father of more grand-children.
For 45 years (till Covid) I was a General Practice private physician in the SFV near PLC in North Hills serving middle- and low-income patients. In 1990 I started Mission City Community Health Clinic to serve indigent patients in the Panorama City area.
The personal skills I most appreciate include empathy, ability to listen, explain complex medical problems, know the limits of my medical knowledge as well as where to refer them. In 1989 Dr. Ajit Arora and I founded a disability evaluation company. We used this income to offset inadequate and progressively dropping primary care reimbursement rather than billing patients. We sold it in 2014 to a Wall Street company creating my retirement income source. Unknown about me by most is my long interest in archeology, especially underwater, scuba diving shipwrecks, 50+ year American folk music enthusiast, creation of a cholesterol education game and invention of a methodology to measure the environmental impact of any product none of which ever made me money but helped me grow in other ways.
One of the most influential persons in my life has been R. Buckminster Fuller, inventor of the geodesic dome and “generalist” whom I met and studied under after my medical internship instead of taking specialty training. What I learned has influenced my entire career almost as much as medical training. I studied comprehensive anticipatory design science, a method to study, solve and communicate any problem and understand universe using its immutable generalized principles ever and always true. I became aware not only of both humanity’s disastrous planetary exploitation but also many of the solutions at hand are solvable by cooperative effort. If humanity used half the resources now devoted to “killingry” for “livingre”, all humanity could live successfully without adverse impact on anyone or the planet.
I first became involved with PLC in 1975 as its first visiting campus medical provider. I joined the BOD in mid-1990’s. Ivelise's devotion and fortitude to deal with the bureaucracy without compromise of integrity as well PLC’s adaptability to changing times has been inspirational to me. Being part of this evolution of a successful non-profit agency has been most rewarding. Having new excellently qualified BOD members with multi varied skills gives me confidence in PLC’s future until the causes of childhood misery are eliminated.
I am grateful to have had a career in a field that has advanced markedly and been able to use that knowledge to benefit others. I am disappointed that my generation was the first to realize humanity’s progressive pollution of the planet but thus far failed to make meaningful progress. I apologize to all future generations. When introduced to younger generations, I feel always compelled to acknowledge and apologize for my generation's failures.
Advice that has guided my life is simple and known by all: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
To those considering supporting PLC I would say I know of no other non-profit organization with the longevity, steadfastness of purpose and diligence to detail.
