Craig Ortega

What is your favorite hobby or thing to do with your personal time?

I believe that life is an adventure, and I enjoy the journey. My wife and I love to travel and when we do, we try to find the hidden gems that a place has to offer – whether that is restaurants, hiking trails, entertainment, or geographical/architectural sites.

What is something about you that would surprise people that already know you?

People who know me today might be surprised that I was a swimmer as a teenager. I wasn’t capable of being a college star or making an Olympic team, but it was a major part of my high-school identity and experience.

If you could have dinner with somebody famous, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I would love to have dinner with Thomas Jefferson and spend the evening exploring the ideals of a democratic society. I would find it fascinating to compare the state of our contemporary government with what his vision was when he crafted the Declaration of Independence and later served as our third President.

How do you define “exceptional”?

Exceptional to me means that a person, company, product, experience or result doesn’t need improvement, meets all expectations, and fulfills the need. In other words, the person or thing is received “without exception”.