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Dave Sanderson special guest of Hillsboro Rotary May 31; book signing Tuesday evening at Ponderosa

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The Highland County Press

Hillsboro Rotary Club President Rick Williams recently announced that the Hillsboro Rotary Club are welcoming former Hillsboro resident Dave Sanderson as guest speaker Tuesday, May 31 at 11:30 a.m. at the Ponderosa Banquet Center.

Sanderson is an inspirational speaker and author. His thoughts on leadership have made him an internationally sought-out speaker.

When US Airways Flight 1549 (“The Miracle on the Hudson”) ditched into the Hudson River on Jan. 15, 2009, Sanderson knew he was exactly where he was supposed to be.

The last passenger off the back of the plane on that fateful day, he was largely responsible for the well-being and safety of others, risking his own life in frigid water to help other passengers off the plane.

Despite the hazards to himself, Sanderson thought only of helping others and emerged from the wreckage with a mission: to encourage others to do the right thing.

Motivated by this near-death experience, the teamwork and resourcefulness demonstrated that day by him and his fellow passengers, and the compassion shown to him by rescuers, emergency professionals and concerned volunteers who looked after him, Sanderson has made it his life’s work to give back. In the six years since the crash, he has transitioned from a successful sales career to motivational speaking and mentoring, translating the Miracle on the Hudson into an inspirational message that resonates far beyond what happened that day and which he hopes will be relevant to everyone in his audience.

After speaking at the weekly Rotary Club noon luncheon, from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 31 at the Ponderosa Banquet Center in Hillsboro, Sanderson will sell and sign copies of his book “Moment’s Matter: How one defining moment can create a lifetime of purpose.”

Andrea and John Holt invite the community to meet with Sanderson on Tuesday.

“Moment’s Matter” details Sanderson’s close encounter with death. It was published on the seven-year anniversary of the Miracle on the Hudson, when a bird strike hit US Airways Flight 1549, and there was no choice for the crew but to ditch and land the plane into the Hudson River.

Despite the hazards to himself, Sanderson thought only of helping others and emerged from the wreckage with a mission; to encourage others to do the right thing.

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After his 30-year career as a sales executive, Sanderson, a former student at Hillsboro City Schools, decided it was time for a change of scenery and recently started his own company, Dave Sanderson Speaks Enterprises, where he has become an internationally sought-after speaker in the areas of entrepreneurship, leadership and teamwork.

Sanderson was born in Peoria, Ill., and grew up in Hillsboro and Winchester, Va. His dreams of playing college football were dashed when he suffered a career-ending knee injury. He attended James Madison University and was graduated with a BBA in International Business. He began his professional career in restaurant management, and went on to work as a National Sales Manager for ADP; Management Consultant for KPMG, Senior Vice President of Sales for Genesis 10; Application Sales Manager for Oracle, and Security Director for Robbins Research International, Inc., An Anthony Robbins Company.

He lives with Terri, his wife of 28 years and his four children – Chelsey, Colleen, Courtney and Chance – in Charlotte, N.C.

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