Epilogue T HIS at Bernette Financial was, by all accounts, the best ever. Because of a dip in the economy, the budget for the party wasn't as big as in previous years. Instead of the usual jazz quartet, there was a DJ. Instead of being held at one of Denver's luxury hotels, it took place in the banquet hall of a popular restaurant. But none of that mattered to the employees and their families, or to the handful of board mem- bers, select customers, and friends of the bank who attended. Everyone ate, drank, chatted, and danced. The banquet hall was abuzz! There was much to celebrate, even in a recession. For starters, after Thanksgiving the bank's board of directors had approved the long-awaited reorganization. Finally, Bernie could retire and Howard could take over as CEO. The bank would remain a privately held institution. Bernie--the bank's founder and visionary--had hoped for this outcome. Executives, middle managers, and rank-and-file employees were happy to know that Howard would soon be installed as CEO. Bittersweet as it was to bid farewell to Bernie, everyone was excited about what was happening at the bank, its growth --223-- American Management Association · www.amanet.org YEAR ' S HOLIDAY PARTY