First, you park your car in a garage that leaves you about two inches between you and the car next to you. After doing your best not to clip their side mirror with your door as you open it, you then make your way out of the garage and across the street. Hmmm? It looks like a bunch of brick buildings, nothing all that remarkable. That's what you say to yourself as you approach. A small sign then directs you down a long, narrow walkway -- which, at first, seems to be nothing more than an alley with a hand rail. A couple of hundred feet or so later, however, you finally see what it is you expected to see: The Joslin Diabetes Center. The world's largest diabetes research center, diabetes clinic, and provider of diabetes education (and also the home to some of the most enormous wind chimes I've ever seen). With its impressive, massive, glass structure and post-modern artistic, metal framework, you feel as if you've almost found The Secret Garden -- er, only it's made of glass and metal.

Whatever. My point is that when you finally arrive at Joslin, you feel like you are somewhere special. Somewhere that things, good things, are happening every day. Advancements, improvements, discoveries, breakthroughs -- you know that words such as these are routinely attributed and applied to the work being done inside that building. The craziest part is that I've only been in the waiting room and the rotunda! Having now gone with my girlfriend to several of her doctor's visits, I've had the pleasure of getting a glimpse into this amazing world of research and technology. Being a patient at Joslin for many, many years, she seems to know so many people by name. But, it seems as though there is someone new over there whose acquaintance she will soon have to make. His name is Ranch Kimball, and aside from having a first name that makes me wish his last name was Hiddenvalley, he is the man who has been appointed the new CEO and president of of Joslin.

Kimball will succeed C. Ronald Kahn, M.D., who was involved at Joslin for 25 years as Executive Vice President and then over 11 years as president. Clearly, Kimball has some big shoes to fill, but this respected former businessman and economic development reformer gets high praises from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino.