William Bradford (March 19, 1590 - May 9, 1657) was an English leader of the settlers of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts, and was elected thirty times to be the Governor. You might have heard of the ship that carried him to America: the Mayflower. Bradford is credited as the first to proclaim what popular American culture now views as the first Thanksgiving.

As the "father" of Thanksgiving, William Bradford carries a certain historical significance for most Americans. But for us at Convina, his legacy has extra special significance. As it turns out, our own Andrea Bradford is a direct paternal descendant of the Plymouth Colony Governor.

Maybe this is part of the reason we love Thanksgiving so much. Or perhaps it's the opportunity to reflect on the most important blessings we've each been given. Of course, it might just be the great food and fun times with family.

No matter what the case is... we look at Thanksgiving the same way as W.J. Cameron, who said, "Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action."

We wish all of our clients, partners, and friends a very Happy Thanksgiving 2009!