My first mentor: Bill Lucero

Tonight I was re-reminded how important mentors are in our lives. I have had many mentors in my life for many different areas including business, running, family, faith, blindness and relationships.  However, I will never forget my first mentor, and I was his first mentee.  When I was in law school, the Bar Association matched law school students with local attorneys. I was matched with Bill Lucero, who was an Assistant Denver District Attorney at the time. I thought Bill was going to mentor me about how to be a good attorney; as it turns out, he was a mentor about how to live an outstanding life.

Several weeks ago, Bill invited me to attend the 27th Annual DU Law Stars event, where he was being honored with the Robert H McWilliams, Jr. Professionalism Award. He told me that I had been important in his life, and he wanted me to sit with his family at the event. This man has been a hero of mine in so many ways. As the night's program began, I thought about the traits that this man taught me and modeled over the past 25 years.

INTEGRITY - Bill taught me that doing the right thing is the only option. A story was told about Bill when he was a prosecuting attorney, and he dismissed a case in the middle of trial when he assessed that a victim was less than credible. The defense attorney was surprised as a case dismissal almost never happens, once a trial is begun. I'm sure the victim and her supporters felt betrayed, abandoned and blamed Bill. Sometimes doing the right thing will make you unpopular, but you do it anyway. Doing the right thing is non-negotiable. Modeling this behavior for others is one of the most powerful things a mentor can do. When I think of Bill, it is the first adjective that comes to mind when I describe him.

HUMILITY - When you speak with Bill, you never know of his greatness. You learn about Bill when other people tell stories about him. This is the trait of a person who is very well accomplished in the art of living. There is no need to talk about education, awards, money or accolades. For Bill, talking about himself does nothing for him. Pride and ego have been more than tamed in Bill, they are unrecognizable. As I sat at Bill's table and spoke with his children, they noted how different it was to see their father in this light - hundreds of attorneys, judges and professors in a ballroom to honor their father for a career of excellence. "At home, he's just a regular guy," his children added. Bill's greatness can only be understood by the sum total of those who have been touched by his efforts; and ironically, a feeling of greatness is of little to no concern for Bill. He lives in humility, a very virtuous trait.

KINDNESS - Whenever I am with Bill I feel like I am the only person in the room. He is attentive, caring and truly kind. He has a soft touch, and a gentle smile. It is always safe around Bill. And this man goes out of his way to help others. I have referred countless friends to Bill for guidance, and he always helps. And my friends speak very highly of Bill after they encounter him. "Nice" is not the right word to describe what Bill has taught me. He is a kind man. A genuine man. A very noble man. His service to this world rises above, and lifts us to new heights.

AUTHENTICITY - As you can probably guess, I have always looked up to this man. Many times he seems bigger than life. But Bill will tell you about one of his deepest losses, when his brother was killed in the Vietnam War decades ago. However, you will still see Bill cry and experience his loss and despair as if it was the day Bill received the news. There is no pretending with Bill. He is himself. Living in his own skin. No pretense - there need not be. He is, and that is enough.

I could have continued thinking about so many things that this man taught me. We all need to have mentors in our lives. And, we have a duty to be mentors to others. As we engage in this teacher-student relationship, I ask that you consider these 4 amazing values I learned from my first mentor, the Honorable Bill Lucero, Esq. As I came out of my daydream, Bill was up on stage with two other honorees with pictures being taken by the paparazzi.

Bill Lucero at the 27th DU Law Stars event with fellow honorees - Alexi Freeman & Noreen Krall

I leaned over to Bill's son, who was watching the scene unfolding. I asked, "What are you feeling right now?"

With a content satisfaction he said, "Proud."

Jason is an expert at teaching people to transform Dreams into Reality. He has amassed a lifetime of expertise in the field as a General Manager for General Electric leading large teams, where he ran a $400 million dollar business, he was a former leader of Global Operations for a Fortune 100 company, an attorney and CEO of a non-profit that helps children with Autism. In addition to his professional experience, he is a US Paralympian, holds 15 world records in ultra-running and mountain biking, is an author, a highly sought after motivational and business speaker and is the 1st and only blind person to run across America - 3,063 miles where he averaged 51.5 miles/day for 59.5 days. For speaking and media inquiries visit www.jasonromero.net