There are many things I remember about Dana... as we all know. She was always "up", easygoing and fun to be around. She was also professional, kind and trustworthy. She was one of those people you liked right away. All of those things come to my mind when I hear her name mentioned. A most memorable and unique experience I had with Dana, however, wasn't the usual encounter one would be likely to have with her. The day was September 11, 2001.

As is the case with national disasters, we all tend to remember where we were and what we were doing. On the morning of September 11, 2001, I happened to be walking towards the elevator lobby on the 3rd floor of the Parkwood building when I noticed a few people gathered around the monitors. Dana was one of them. As we all stood and stared, we actually witnessed the second plane slamming into the South Tower of the World Trade Center building - it was 9:03 a.m. We all know the rest of the story, but let me tell you about a moment that I will never forget. At that instant, Dana turned and looked at me. She simply gave me a hug for a moment and cried. She then backed away and turned to someone else and did the same thing. I was shocked at what I had just seen on the monitor and only later did I really think about Dana's reaction. Somehow, Dana seemed to immediately realize the severity of the situation and she "felt the pain" of the moment. She reacted instantly and without delay at a time when most of the nation didn't even know what to think. She realized that people had just died. I think Dana valued life and cared so much for people that she couldn't help but reach out to someone and try to comfort them. I will always remember that, and it made a lasting and positive impression on me and was a great reminder of how to live life.

-John Thomas

About Dana