NNY Business December 2014

// fourth annual // emerging leaders issue

DECEMBER 2014 Volume 5 No. 1

nnybizmag.com

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> Biz Tech > NNY Snapshot > Business Scene > Real Estate

20 under 40: north country

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young professionals who make an impact

// Northern New York’s

December Monthly 2014 | NNY Business // | 1 Premier Business

20UNDER40

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Above, from left, Robert M. Sligar, Carthage Federal Savings & Loan Association; Aaron Miller, Miller Spraying & Miller Turf; Joey Marie Horton, North Country Family Health Center; Stuart Schmitt, Watertown Family YMCA. Cover, clockwise from left, David A. Winters, Watertown Audiology; Rebecca Dunckel-King, Beaver River High School; Dr. Shari M. Hogan, Child & Adolescent Health Associates; Krysta Aten-Schell, Bernier, Carr & Associates; Jacob S. ‘Jake’ Johnson, Jake’s Lawn Care & Landscaping.

NNY Business Business || December December 2014 2014 2 2 || NNY

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

20UNDER40

From left, Lucas and Rebekah Wachob, Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center; Samuel M. Purington, Volunteer Transportation Center; Amanda Root, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County.

Cover photos by Justin Sorensen, on location at Bova Photography Studio, Paddock Arcade, Watertown

|3 3 December December 2014 2014 || NNY NNY Business Business |

20UNDER40

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

From left, Michelle Monnat, Children’s Home of Jefferson County; Sarah V. Compo, New York State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie; Allison I. Carlos, Washington Street Properties; Megan LaClaire, Perfectly Polished Nails & Waxing Spa. December 2014 2014 4 | NNY Business || December

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

20UNDER40

From left, Michelle I. Quinell-Gayle, St. Lawrence NYSARC; Jill C. Winters, New York Power Authority; Trevor C. Garlock, Northwestern Mutual; Erica C. Demick, YesterYear’s Vintage Doors.

5 December 2014 2014|| NNY NNY Business Business || 5 December

6 | NNY Business | December 2014

December 2014 | NNY Business

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8 | NNY Business | December 2014

>> Inside DECEMBER 2014

17

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66 40 |

COVER |

18 20 UNDER 40 NNY Business presents 20 Northern New York emerging leaders under the age of 40.

20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

Krysta S. Aten-Schell Allison I. Carlos Sarah V. Compo Erica C. Demick Rebecca Dunckel-King Trevor C. Garlock Dr. Shari M. Hogan Joey Marie Horton Jacob s. ‘Jake’ Johnson Megan LaClaire Aaron Miller Michelle L. Monnat Samuel M. Purington Michelle I. Quinell-Gayle Amanda Root Stuart Schmitt Robert M. Sligar Lucas & Rebekah Wachob David A. Winters Jill C. Winters

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SMALL BUSINESS STARTUP |

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FEATURES |

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17 crazy for crossfit Coldblooded CrossFit is a new venue for intense fitness near downtown Watertown. |

40 A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS After nearly 30 years, Herb and Margaret Gould have sold Shuler’s Restaurant.

42 FOR THE LOVE OF HOME A Madrid woman returns to pursue her passion for food and community with bakery. |

REAL ESTATE |

50 HOME PRICES DROP Home prices across the NNY region fall on mixed Q3 sales.

REAL ESTATE |

51 TOP TRANSACTIONS Top 10 property sales in Sept. in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties totalled $16.77m.

BUSINESS SCENE |

64 NETWORKING, NNY STYLE From Jefferson to Lewis counties, businessmen and women connect for success. |

BUSINESS HISTORY |

66 A PAPERMAKING TITAN The Taggart family’s legacy stretched for generations. |

ONLINE |

DAILY UPDATES, DATA Daily business news and data at www.nnybizmag.com.

December 2014 | NNY Business

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C o n tr i b u t o r s

BusIness www.nnybizmag.com

Chairman of the Board John B. Johnson Jr.

Lance Evans is executive officer for the JeffersonLewis and St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors.

He writes about local real estate professionals who were recently honored. (p. 48)

Denise Young is executive director of the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. She writes about regional approaches to improving health care under way. (p. 53)

Bob Gorman is president and CEO of United Way of Northern New York. He writes about the importance of local nonprofits working together to serve the region. (p. 52)

Publishers

John B. Johnson Harold B. Johnson II

VP News Operations Timothy J. Farkas

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Staff Writer / Editorial Assistant Lorna Oppedisano

Graphic Design / Layout Lauren Harrienger

Lynn Pietroski is president and CEO of the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. She writes about the revival of the upcoming Snowtown USA festival. (p. 55)

Larry Covell is a professor of business at Jefferson Community College. He explains the recent U.S. Supreme Court case that involved Hobby Lobby Stores. (p. 54)

Jay Matteson is the agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Corp. He writes about Thousand Islands Winery’s new ice wine. (p. 56)

Photography

Norm Johnston, Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Melanie Kimbler-Lago, Amanda Morrison

Director of Advertising Michael Hanson

Advertising Graphics

Brian Mitchell, Rick Gaskin, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

Lorna Oppedisano is a a staff writer and editorial assistant for NNY Magazines. In small biz startup, she visits Cold Blooded CrossFit; in history, she recalls a papermaking titan. (pg. 17, 66)

Jennifer McCluskey is an advisor for the state Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton. She explains recent social media changes and their impact. (p. 58)

Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran.

She writes about how to use technology to have a stress-free holiday season. (p. 57)

MARKETPLACE Beardsley Design ..................... 67 Bradley’s Military ..................... 60 Carthage Area Hospital .......... 68 Carthage Federal Savings & Loan Association .................. 13 Caskinette Ford ....................... 62 Center for Sight ........................ 59 CFS Eye Boutique of NNY ........ 47 CFS Hearing .............................. 54 CFS Medispa ............................ 40 Cheney Tire .............................. 41 Children’s Home of Jefferson County ...................... 41 Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center .......................... 8 Clayton Dental Office ............. 13 Coleman’s Corner ................... 68 Community Bank Wealth Management ........................... 70 Creg Systems Corp. ................. 12 Development Authority of the North Country ................ 55 D.L. Calarco Funeral Home .... 45 Dr. Guitar .................................. 42

Dunn-Glass Insurance ............. 46 Fairground Inn .......................... 68 Foy Agency .............................. 46 Geico ........................................ 43 GWNC Chamber of Commerce ......................... 16, 42 Haylor, Freyer & Coon ............. 46 HD Goodale ............................. 46 High Tower Advisors ................ 45 Hospice of Jefferson County .... 50 Immaculate Heart Central Schools ........................ 12 Innovative Physical Therapy Solutions ..................... 52 Jefferson County EDC ............. 67 Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors ................................. 49 Ken Piarulli / Ameriprise .......... 43 Krafft Cleaning ......................... 63 LTI Trucking ............................... 58 Meade Optical ........................ 12 Nationwide Insurance ............. 46 NNY Community Foundation ... 44 Nortz & Virkler Ford ................. 50

10 | NNY Business | December 2014

NYS Department of Health ........ 7 Rainbow International ............. 44 RBC Wealth Management ...... 41 Samaritan Health ..................... 11 Sea Comm Federal Credit Union ............................. 53 Shorty’s Place ........................... 68 Shred Con ................................ 57 Slack Chemical ....................... 56 The Wladis Law Firm ................ 71 Truax & Son Insurance ............. 46 Upstate Medical University ..... 72 Vol Transportation Center ....... 51 Waite Motorsports .................... 65 Waite Toyota ............................ 64 Walldroff Farm Equipment ...... 60 Washington Street Properties .... 69 Watertown LDC ........................ 48 Watertown Savings Bank .......... 6 Watertown Spring & Alignment ... 50 WDT Job Network ..................... 47 Weichert Realtors ..................... 49 WPBS TV .................................... 47 WWTI TV 50 ................................ 61

NNY Business (ISSN 2159-6115), is published monthly by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. © 2010-2014. All material submitted to NNY Business becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

Subscription Rates 12 issues are $15 a year and 24 issues are $25 for two years.

Call 315-782-1000 to subscribe.

Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email mhanson@wdt.net, or call 315-661-2305 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail gvalik@wdt.net, or call 315-661-2358 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y., a Forest Stewardship Certified facility.

Please recycle this magazine.

| interview |

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ABOUT THE COVER

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Editor’s Note: 20 Questions will return in next month’s issue.

To read past 20 Questions with north country business leaders, visit WWW.NNYBIZMAG.COM |

COLUMNS

52 53 54 55 |

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GUEST ESSAY ECONOMICALLY SPEAKING BUSINESS LAW COMMERCE CORNER

DEPARTMENTS

12 13 14 45 17

56 57 58 58

AGRI-BUSINESS BUSINESS TECH BYTES SMALL BUSINESS SUCCESS Executive Insights

48 62 64 66 68

real estate roundup CALENDAR BUSINESS SCENE BUSINESS HISTORY NEXT MONTH

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EDITOR’S NOTE PEOPLE ON THE MOVE ECONOMIC SNAPSHOT BUSINESS BRIEFCASE SMALL BIZ STARTUP

For our 4th Annual 20 Under 40 issue, photographer Justin Sorensen staged photo shoots at Bova Photography Studio in Watertown’s historic Paddock Arcade. Each member of NNY Business magazine’s 2014 Class of 20 Under 40 came to the studio for a group shot and fulllength portrait, which appear with their profiles beginning on page 18.

December 2014 | NNY Business

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The Faculty and Staff of Immaculate Heart Central Schools

e are excited and proud to present NNY Business magazine’s 20 Under 40 class of 2014 this month.

During the past four months, nominations for selection to this year’s class steadily flowed into our offices totalling a record 103 nominations of 63 people, which made decision day a very challenging time for our sevenperson selection Ken Eysaman committee. I must say a heartfelt thank you to our committee members who spent more than a week reviewing nomination packets.

In October, staff from the magazine and the Watertown Daily Times and St. Lawrence and Lewis counties reviewed a list of accomplished young professionals with the task of culling the number to 20 from 63. It was no easier a task than when we began this program in 2011. In the four years since, we have honored 83 young professionals in the tri-county region.

I urge you to flip to page 18 to begin reading the 20 profiles of top talent right here in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

Here are a few statistics about our 2013 Class of 20 Under 40: Average age: 32.7 Median age: 29 Youngest: 22 Oldest: 39 Youngest business owner: 29

CONGRATULATE Jake Johnson, IHC `03 and Sarah Compo, IHC `04 for their success and contributions to the local community.

A century of service to the north country

Number younger than 30: 11 Number of small business owners: 3 Number of women: 13 Number of men: 8 Number of agency leaders: 5 Number of agency department directors: 9 Mid-level manager or supervisor: 7 Vice president or higher: 11 North country natives: 16 Number in Jefferson County: 13 Number in Lewis County: 5 Number in St. Lawrence County: 3 Highest level of education: Doctor of medicine and master’s degree Average level of education: bachelor’s degree Number with post-graduate degrees: 9 The numbers alone tell an impressive story, especially given that 16 of those who are profiled are north country natives who have — by choice — remained in Northern New York or have returned to the region to live, work, raise their children and contribute to making our communities a better place for others.

I hope you enjoy reading about this year’s group of talented emerging leaders this month. If you come across anyone we missed, let me know at keysaman@wdt.net. It’s never too early to start thinking of future leaders who deserve recognition. Nominations for next year’s class open in September.

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P E O P L E O N T H E M O VE

SUNY Potsdam alumnus earns honorary doctorate

The State University of New York awarded an honorary doctor of science degree to SUNY Potsdam alumnus Haden A. Land ’84, in a ceremony held in the Hall of the States in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 13.

Potsdam President Kristin G. Esterberg and Provost Margaret L. Madden presented the degree. Several members of Congress and staffers also were on hand.

As the vice president for research and technology for Lockheed Martin’s Information Systems and Global Solutions business, Mr. Land serves U.S. government agencies, allied nations and regulated commercial industries.

He is also an advocate for STEAM, which incorporates the arts into science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. Last year, Mr. Land was one of three industry panelists invited to speak at a briefing for Congressional STEAM Caucus members and staff in the Capitol.

The SUNY Potsdam Alumni Association presented Mr. Land with the Minerva Award, its highest honor in recognition of professional achievements. He has also previously been awarded an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from Capitol Technology University.

S&L Electric president awarded industry award

Leo J. Villeneuve, president of S&L Electric, Inc., Watertown, was recently awarded the NECA District I Electrical Industry Award. The district consists of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island and the New England States. The award is issued annually to recognize an individual who has advanced the electrical contracting industry beyond normal call of duty.

Mr. Villeneuve started S&L more than

36 years ago with two employees and a small office inside his home. Over the years, it has expanded into an organization of 200 employees.

Accounting firm manager nets finance award

Donald Gruneisen, manager of Pinto, Mucenski, Hooper, VanHouse and Co. accounting firm, has been awarded the Chartered Global Management Accountant designation from the American Institute of CPAs and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. The CGMA designation recognizes professionals who have deep understanding of finance and have expanded their business skills through experience as management accountants to help drive better business decisions.

Mr. Gruneisen has spent more than 30 years in management and management accounting. He began his career at Nicholville Telephone Company, ultimately becoming president and CEO. He served as a senior financial officer of the Pipeline Data and Pipeline Cynergy Holdings group of companies in the credit card processing and merchant services industry. Mr. Gruneisen has also served as an adjunct instructor at Clarkson University. He has held the position of manager at Pinto, Mucenski, Hooper and VanHouse since 2013.

BlueRock appoints consultants, expands customer service team

BlueRock Energy has appointed Ahmad Rizeq and John Slopnick as its newest energy supply consultants for western New York and the Mohawk Valley, respectively.

The company also appointed Joe Ablan as manager for BlueRock Energy’s customer experience team and Noemi Pedrosa as

customer service manager.

Mr. Rizeq services the ChautauquaAlleghany and Niagara Frontier territories.

Mr. Slopnick services the Mohawk Valley area, including the Adirondack Mountains and Central Leatherstocking territories.

Mr. Ablan oversees the customer experience team that services all customers across the state. As manager, he will lead the team to address customer comments, questions and feedback. Ms. Pedrosa joins as customer service manager. She will support the company’s customer experience team.

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NNY

Economic indicators Average per-gallon milk price paid to N.Y. dairy farmers October 2014 $2.31 Sept. 2014 $2.23 October 2013 $1.85

24.9%

ECON SNAPSHOT

Vehicles crossing the Thousand Islands, OgdensburgPrescott and Seaway International (Massena) bridges

Source: NYS Department of Agriculture

443,479 in October 2014 451,754 in Sept. 2014 444,750 in October 2013

Average NNY price for gallon of regular unleaded gas

Source: T.I. Bridge Authority, Ogdensburg Bridge & Port Authority, Seaway International Bridge Corp.

October 2014 $3.44 Sept. 2014 $3.60 October 2013 $3.62

U.S.-Canadian dollar exchange rate (Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar)

5.0%

Average NNY price for gallon of home heating oil

14 | NNY Business | December 2014

(Percent gains and losses are over 12 months)

October 2014 $3.57 Sept. 2014 $3.67 October 2013 $3.77

5.3%

0.28%

$1.13 on Oct. 31, 2014 $1.12 on Sept. 29, 2014 $1.04 on Oct. 31, 2013

8.7%

Source: Federal Reserve Bank of N.Y.

Average NNY price for gallon of residential propane

Nonagriculture jobs in the Jefferson-Lewis-St. Lawrence counties area, not including military positions*

October 2014 $3.02 Sept. 2014 $3.01 October 2013 $2.96

91,800 in October 2014 91,800 in Sept. 2014 91,700 in October 2013

2.0%

0.10%

Source: NYS Energy Research and Development Authority

Source: NYS Department of Labor

Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors single-family home sales

St. Lawrence Board of Realtors single-family home sales

144, median price $140,750 in October 2014 107, median price $125,000 in September 2014 103, median price $140,000 in October 2013

62, median price $66,500 in October 2014 69, median price $76,000 in September 2014 59, median price $87,500 in October 2013

39.8% Sales

0.54% Price

Source: Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Inc.

5.0%

24.0%

Sales

Price

Source: St. Lawrence Board of Realtors Inc.

NNY unemployment rates* Jefferson County

Oct. ’14 Sept. ’14

7.0% 6.6%

Oct. ’13

8.5%

St. Lawrence County Oct. ’14

6.9%

Sept. ’14

6.8%

Oct. ’13

8.0%

Lewis County Oct. ’14 Sept. ’14 Oct. ’13

6.5% 6.7% 7.8%

Source: New York State Department of Labor (Not seasonally adjusted. Latest available data reported.) * Latest available data reported due to annual data updates at the New York State Department of Labor.

Note: Due to updates in some “Econ. Snapshot” categories, numbers may differ from previously published prior month and year figures.

Economic indicators New automobiles (cars and trucks) registered in Jefferson County Cars 499 in October 2014 497 in Sept. 2014 459 in October 2013

8.7%

Trucks 127 in October 2014 144 in September 2014 112 in October 2013

NNY

13.4%

Source: Jefferson County Clerk’s Office

Passengers at Watertown International Airport

Open welfare cases in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

3,305 inbound and outbound in October 2014 3,365 inbound and outbound in September 2014 3,737 inbound and outbound in October 2013

2,340 in October 2014 2,296 in Sept. 2014 2,031 in October 2013

15.2%

11.6%

DBAs

Source: Social Service Depts. of Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties

DBA (doing business under an assumed name) certificates filed at the Jefferson County Clerk’s office Nov. 3 to 26, 2013. For a complete list of DBAs filed in past months, visit us at www.nnybizmag.com.

Nov. 26: Ouellette Construction, 26102 N. Croghan Road, Natural Bridge, Andrew J. Ouellette, 26162 N. Croghan Road, Natural Bridge.

Nov. 24: S&J Finish Carpentry, 47990 County Route 1, Redwood, Jessica L. Reczko, 47990 County Route 1, Redwood.

Knot Just for Weddings. 21879 Lane Road, Watertown, JoAnne M. VanBrocklin, 21879 Lane Road, Watertown.

Nov. 21: McIntyre Mission (nonprofit), 619 Bronson St., Watertown, Katrina M. McIntyre and Ellenmarie B. Major, Watertown.

Franklin Street Storage, 29 Franklin St., Carthage, Douglas P. and Kelly S. O’Connor, 21649 Cole Road., Carthage.

Nov. 20: Rooted Drifter Bar and Grille, 19 Bridge St., Carthage, Emily M. Widrick, 7649 Soft Maple Road, Croghan.

Nov. 17: 1000 Islands Treasures, 321 James St., Clayton, Karen S. Calhoun, 39215 Farm Road, Clayton.

Kline and Son Trucking, 408 N. Main St., Mannsville, Scott A. Kline, 408 N. Main St., Mannsville.

Proud General Contracting, 305 S. Indiana Ave., Watertown, Vincent J. Santiago and Robin M. Davis.

Tiny Turtles Daycare, 27340 County Route 49, Apt. 2, Watertown, Cassandra LaDuke, 27340 County Route 49, Watertown.

VanDuzee Street Storage, 424 VanDuzee St., Watertown, Robert W. Shambo, 15530 County Route 155, Watertown.

Nov. 14: Redemption Evangelical Lutheran Church,

Watertown, Harland H. Goetzinger, Joel Kassulke, Clayton Matthew, Howard Black.

Nov. 13: Rich’s Floor Cleaning, 252 West St., Carthage.

Richard A. Beirman II, 252 West St., Carthage.

Nov. 12: Wildcraft Botanics, 213 S. Broad St., Sackets Harbor, Andrew L. Crabb, 213 S. Broad St., Sackets Harbor.

Nov. 10: Fluxus Catering Co., 407-B James St., Clayton, Andrew C. Wehrle and Mark P. Harrienger.

Orvis Electric, 12166 County Route 125, Chaumont, Thomas A. Orvis, 12166 County Route 125, Chaumont.

Nov. 7: Peachy Clean Cleaning Service, 12695 Bishop St., Adams, Jennifer Duffany and Desiree Tibbles, Adams.

Nov. 5: La Cameo Ink Parlor, 23227 Route 342, Store 4, Watertown, Scott E. LaGrange, 30204 County Route 179, Depauville.

Lizzy B Designs, 19643 County Route 65, Watertown, Elizabeth R. Weldon, 19643 County Route 65, Watertown.

Nov. 4: Moto Sports, 15671 Balch Place Road, Mannsville, Ross L. Rabetoy II, 15671 Balch Place Road, Mannsville.

Nov. 3:H.M. Enterprise, 8700 Main St., Apt. 410A, Fort Drum, Thomas G. Marinas, 8700 Main St., Apt. 410A, Fort Drum.

Jane’s Boy Press, 219 Arlington St., Watertown, Carlton D. Fisher, 219 Arlington St., Watertown.

Nate’s Auto Service, 37230 Route 11, Antwerp, Nathan D. McElhone, 111 Main St., Antwerp.

transactions

Source: Jefferson County Board of Legislators

December 2014 | NNY Business

| 15

S M A L L b i z S TA R T U P BUSINESS

Cold Blooded CrossFit THE INITIAL IDEA

Joshua N. Smith never had aspirations to be a business owner or a workout guru. When Mr. Smith, a Florida native and U.S. Army light infantry platoon sergeant, discovered CrossFit, he was intrigued by how different it was from his normal workouts.

“I was getting bored with the same workout routines,” he said. “This is something that’s never the same. Every day it’s different.”

After spending hours on the weekends driving south to Syracuse to train, he knew it was time to create his own space, or “box” in CrossFit terms. Mr. Smith had tried out a few other places in the north country that offered CrossFit, but their methods of putting together a workout routine weren’t in the same vein as his.

“I wanted to open up a place where me and my friends and other like-minded people could work out,” he said.

He has trained with Marc A. Stevens, owner of Jiu-Jitsu Nation, and knew that Mr. Stevens had vacant space in the back of his studio. The two training methods complement each other well, Mr. Smith said, and it was a good fit.

In order to pay for the use of the space, Mr. Smith knew that his ventures would have to be a small business. It just evolved from there.

“People started coming and I started running a business more than I was working out,” he said. “It was going to be a small business but now it looks like it could be a career-type move.”

THE JOURNEY

Mr. Smith opened Cold Blooded CrossFit in April as a local CrossFit box where he could call the shots and construct the workouts. He had spent time coaching at Star Spangled CrossFit on state Route 11, but found their methods out of synch with his.

“There are different ways to put workouts together — their place, their rules,” Mr. Smith said. “That’s why you open up your place: so you can have your rules.”

Along with CrossFit classes seven days a week, Cold Blooded CrossFit also offers yoga instruction and a barbell club. A complete schedule is posted on their website.

CrossFit is a relatively new phenomenon in the north country. While there are other CrossFit options in the area, Cold Blooded CrossFit has been doing well and still has room for growth, Mr. Smith said.

“It’s not a tapped market in Watertown,” he added.

Cold Blooded CrossFit has been so popular among clientele that Mr. Smith and Mr. Stevens have begun a search for a larger space.

“We’re looking at expanding together and helping each other out along the way,” Mr. Smith said.

These plans are in an early stage, but Mr.

AMANDA MORRISON | NNY BUSINESS

“The more we can start getting people healthy and have them care about their bodies, the better” — Joshua N. Smith, owner, Cold Blooded CrossFit Smith did mention the creation of a CrossFit kids program and expanding his staff to include a nutritionist and physical trainers.

“The more we can offer our people, the better,” he said.

Looking back to the beginning of Cold Blooded CrossFit, Mr. Smith said he’s happy that he didn’t try to start too big. Rather than starting in a large space and attempting to fill it, he has no choice now but to expand in order to meet the growing number of clients from as far away as Lowville and even Syracuse, he said.

While CrossFit might seem like a workout that would attract mostly customers from Fort Drum, that’s not the case.

“Believe it or not, we’ve actually had more locals than anyone else,” he said, admitting that this might be due in part to the free gyms on the base. “But what we offer that they don’t is instruction. And we also offer programming for people.”

It was not his goal to become a coach when he opened Cold Blooded CrossFit, but Mr. Smith said he enjoys helping people reach their goals. He explained that one of the most rewarding aspects of running his business is the ability to spread the word about fitness options in Watertown.

“The more we can start getting people healthy and have them care about their bodies, the better,” he said.

TARGET CLIENTELE

“CrossFit’s really for anyone,” Mr. Smith said. “I have people

who are in the 60, 70 age group. And I have people who are really young and already really fit.”

Mr. Smith explained that the CrossFit regimen is composed of “functional movements that are constantly varied at high intensities. We have a wide variety of people and they all have the same workout,” he said. “We’ll scale it down to people’s individual fitness levels.”

Whether the client’s goal is to stay out of a retirement home or to become a stronger athlete, CrossFit is for anyone looking to improve their general health, he said.

“It can’t be all about CrossFit,” Mr. Smith said.

“It has to be about getting people healthy.”

IN FIVE YEARS Mr. Smith said he has no doubt that Cold Blooded CrossFit will be going strong in five years. The only change might be the location. But as long as the numbers are right, he’d like to stay local, he said.

“It just depends on how the area treats us. There is a spark here, but is it enough to make a living off of?” he said. “CrossFit’s still new here. Is Watertown going to be open to CrossFit? It’s hard to say.”

Mr. Smith hopes that Cold Blooded CrossFit will make a difference by influencing people to think of health and fitness as more of a priority, he said.

“It has no rules or limits to what we can do,” he said. “CrossFit can help you meet your goals.”

— Lorna Oppedisano

WHERE 146 Arsenal St., Watertown | FOUNDED April 2014 | WEB www.coldbloodedcrossfit.com

December 2014 | NNY Business

| 17

20UNDER40 Northern New York’s

Emerging Leaders

Krysta S. Aten-Schell — Bernier, Carr & Associates | Allison I. Carlos — Washington Street Properties | Sarah V. Compo — New York State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie | Erica C. Demick — YesterYear’s Vintage Doors | Rebecca Dunckel-King — Beaver River High School | Trevor C. Garlock — Northwestern Mutual | Dr. Shari M. Hogan — Child & Adolescent Health Associates| Joey Marie Horton — North Country Family Health Center | Jacob S. ‘Jake’ Johnson — Jake’s Lawn Care | Megan LaClaire — Perfectly Polished Nails & Waxing Spa | Aaron Miller — Miller Spraying | Michelle L. Monnat — Children’s Home of Jefferson County | Samuel M. Purington — Volunteer Transportation Center | Michelle I. Quinell-Gayle — St. Lawrence NYSARC | Amanda Root — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County | Stuart Schmitt — Watertown Family YMCA | Robert M. Sligar — Carthage Federal Savings & Loan Association | Lucas & Rebekah Wachob — Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center | David A. Winters — Watertown Audiology | Jill C. Winters — New York Power Authority An architect, a director of business development, communication professionals, a national sales and marketing manager, an educator, a financial planner, health care professionals, an information technology specialist, a transportation center director, a director of human resources, a loan officer, a pair of camp leaders, a director of operations and a few small business owners.

Our fourth annual 20 Under 40 class was the most competitive field yet, and these individuals represent a snapshot of Northern New York’s most accomplished, dedicated and involved young professionals, across a wide spectrum of industries, and across three counties.

All of these young men and women are involved in some shape or form in their community, whether by serving on an organization’s board, being a foster parent, serving in a youth leadership organization, or something as simple as helping to organize community 5K runs or mak18 | NNY Business | December 2014

ing time to donate to food banks.

All of these leaders, who are between the ages of 22 and 39, were chosen not only by the editors and staff of NNY Business magazine, but by virtue of glowing recommendations from their peers and employers. And not only do these emerging leaders, who embody the prized north country values of compassion, hard work and selflessness, make time in hectic schedules to volunteer in the community, they give their very best in challenging career fields each and day, all out of an effort to make the place they have chosen to stay in and call home the very best place it can be.

NNY Business recognizes these 20 men and women along with their companies at a special luncheon at Watertown’s Hilton Garden Inn.

Class of 2014

December 2014 | NNY Business

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Krysta S. Aten-Schell, 29 Bernier, Carr & Associates

K

rysta S. Aten-Schell is passionate about everything she does, much like her father was.

The Idaho native, who moved to the north coun- try six years ago, said her drive to succeed in life is a trait she shared with her father, Mark J. Schell, who died after an airplane crash last year in her hometown of Idaho Falls.

“He taught me to work very hard and always strive to be the best in everything, whether that was with school, business, career or family,” said Mrs. Aten-Schell, who Bernier, Carr & Associates of Watertown hired in 2008 after she graduated at the top of her class from Idaho University.

She serves as LEED administrator and an intern architect at the Mullin Street firm. A U.S. Green Building Council designation, LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, which awards energy-efficient projects with special certification.

Mrs. Aten-Schell’s career path has similarities with the one taken by her father, a mechanical engineer for 30 years who owned a small business on the side, selling synthetic oil products for vehicles. As a youngster, she recalls selling oil products with him and fixing cars during weekends.

“Most kids were watching cartoons, and I was hanging out in automobile shops learning about cars,” she said. “I was learning the principles of what it means to be a professional.”

Apart from her day job, Mrs. Aten-Schell is also a small business owner like her father was. She and her husband, Cory J. Aten, have managed a home-based photography business for six years in Adams Center, his hometown. They met while she was competing in the Miss Idaho beauty pageant in the fall of 2005. He was in Idaho visiting one of her cousins at the time.

As LEED administrator for Bernier, Carr & Associates, Mrs. Aten-Schell plans energy-efficient components of projects, teaming up with engineers and architects to do so. She played a key role in designing the two-story gymnasium with an elevated running track at LaFargeville Central School District in 2011 — part of a $13 million modernization project. The $2.8 million gym features energy-efficient skylights and windows, along with a roof garden to absorb rainwater. It’s powered by solar panels mounted to its facade and a wind turbine on the school grounds. Sustainable materials were used for all aspects of the project.

“It got down to deciding whether we were going to use recycled content in the concrete,” she said.

20 | NNY Business | December 2014

LaFargeville became the first LEED-certified K-12 school in the north country as a result of the project designed by the Watertown firm, earning “silver status” under the program. The firm always strives to ensure all projects use sustainable elements, she said, regardless of whether they achieve LEED certification.

Though investing in renewable energy can be initially expensive for clients, they achieve a return on their investment in the long run from savings.

In 2009, Mrs. Aten-Schell launched an in-house training program at the firm based on the LEED program. About 15 employees have passed tests to become LEED-accredited as a result of the program.

Mrs. Aten-Schell is now accumulating hours of experience as a student enrolled in the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ Intern Development Program. She said she hopes to earn a total of 5,600 hours of experience within the next two years to earn a professional architect’s license.

While not crafting blueprints at work, Mrs. Aten-Schell helps organize productions for the Watertown Lyric Theater. She was the production manager of the group’s fall performance in November of “South Pacific,” a classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Her other hobbies include tending to her organic fruit and vegetable garden and playing the violin — a hobby she picked up as a fifthgrader. She likes to play classical music composed by Bach and Beethoven.

“I love the lyrical nature of the themes and how they can grow,” she said. “I see things happen in my head when I listen to music.”

An argument could be made that the music is akin to her design work.

“I also like the structure — it appeals to me,” she said.

— Ted Booker

The krysta s. aten-schell File Hometown: Idaho Falls, Idaho Professional position: LEED administrator and intern architect at Bernier, Carr & Associates, Watertown Family: Husband, Cory J. Aten Education: Bachelor’s degree in architecture, University of Idaho, 2008 Community involvement: Board member and publicity coordinator, Watertown Lyric Theater Last book read: “The Glass Dragon” by Irene Radford

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Allison I. Carlos, 22 Washington Street Properties

F

or Allison I. Carlos, being a north country native is a defining characteristic, but it’s not always easy.

“Being a part of community events is really important to me, but it’s not always [possible] to make events,” she said.

Her words make sense. Ms. Carlos has a full-time job, is a small business owner and a foster parent — and that’s just the beginning of the list.

“Life is all about priorities,” she said.

Ms. Carlos’ first priority is her family, which is also her No. 1 tie to Northern New York.

“I’ve always wanted to stay here. I was born and raised here,” she said. “My family has roots deeply seeded in the area. I’m very close with my family. I’ve always been honored to be a part of a family with entrepreneurial spirit.”

Ms. Carlos said, her father, a local business owner, is among her mentors.

She cited his influence as the source of her tireless work ethic, pointing out that it’s hard to find someone who can balance raising a family with being a successful business owner like her father does.

“His ability to manage all that, along with being an awesome father, is really impressive to me,” she said.

At 22 years old, Ms. Carlos has already begun to instill what her family has taught her into a much younger generation through her involvement in foster care.

Her foster child, Sweet Pea — a name Ms. Carlos uses to protect the girl’s safety — has been in her care for five months. Prior to that, Ms. Carlos hosted many respite children, a weekend-long form of foster care.

Ms. Carlos grew to love children during her 10 years of teaching dance. A student who came through her class had been adopted, and that inspired Ms. Carlos.

“I was intrigued by her story and the opportunity that her family gave her — how significantly they changed her life,” she said.

Shortly thereafter, Ms. Carlos heard an ad on the radio for House of the Good Shepherd, a foster care agency, called them, and became certified as a foster parent.

“I was really excited to be part of something that could change a child’s life,” she said.

Ms. Carlos’ second priority at this point in her life is her full-time job with Washington Street Properties, she said.

What excites her most in her field is the opportunity to become part of positive change. “[It’s great to be] part of a company that is so focused on growth and not only expanding whatever they’re working on,

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but making the area better,” she said. “The company I work for is focused on making a building better and improving the community.”

Ms. Carlos is a bit of an anomaly in the business field in the fact that she hasn’t yet earned a four-year degree. She had been accepted to study communications at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, but had an interest in real estate and understood the importance of developing hands-on work experience.

Her decision echoed the advice she received from many people — what she described as the best advice she’s ever followed: “Follow my own path and create my own opportunities,” she explained.

“There was a multitude of people in my life who were always encouraging who gave me the ability to do that with my life, and not be limited,” she continued, “to not to set boundaries for myself and know that anything is possible.”

Her faith is her third priority, she said, which also affects her attitude toward life.

“There are no boundaries. When I set my mind to something, it’s important for me personally to follow through with that in a way that I’ve never disappointed myself or my family,” she said. “Even if it doesn’t go as planned, everything happens for a reason.”

— Lorna Oppedisano

The ALLISON I. CARLOS File Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Director of business development, Washington Street Properties, Watertown Family: Parents, Louis and Shelley Carlos; brothers, Nathaniel and Nick; foster daughter, “Sweet Pea” Education: Associate degree, Jefferson Community College Community involvement: Miss Thousand Islands, 2015 and 2012; owner, Dance Alley; co-owner, Alley-Kat photo booth; speaker at Emerge NNY; keynote speaker for JCC’s Business Club Entrepreneurship Day; JCC Student Ambassador Last book read: “Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!” by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter December 2014 | NNY Business

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Sarah V. Compo, 29

New York State Senate

S

arah V. Compo has a ground-floor view of local politics, and she plans to use it to improve Northern New York.

“One of the most exciting things is being able to help residents of the north country with different issues they might have,” she said. “It’s really rewarding when you’re able to help someone.”

Ms. Compo has been gaining experience that put her in a position to help since she was in college.

After working as an intern on the “Today” show in New York City for a semester in college, she got word that the show’s financial editor, Jean Chatzky, was looking for a reporting assistant.

Following an interview, she landed the job. During the next couple of years, Ms. Compo gained experience that she brought back to the north country after her stint in the Big Apple. Some people would use a reporting job with Ms. Chatzky as a stepping stone to a bigger position within the city; Ms. Compo used it as a stepping stone to come home.

“I decided at the end of two years that I wanted to try something different,” she said. “During my time in New York, I had missed being home and missed my family.

While I was in New York and drawing to the end of two years, I knew it was time for a change. I decided to come home and explore what is here.”

Looking back, Ms. Compo said she’s glad that she followed her heart back to the north country. It helped teach her an important lesson: “I think I’ve learned that you need to do what’s right for yourself and you can’t care about what other people think,” she said.

Being home is a breath of fresh air for Ms. Compo after having lived in a city of nearly 9 million people.

“I really like the sense of community [in the north country]. I like that I can go pretty much anywhere and know someone,” she said. “The other thing is, it’s a lot easier to make connections with people and see the impact you have on the place you live.”

Not everyone has the same positive attitude toward her hometown as Ms. Compo. There are those who complain that there’s nothing to do, especially in the winter months, she noted.

“We need to keep getting young people engaged in the community,” she said. “First, I think we need to keep doing things that en-

22 | NNY Business | December 2014

courage the creation of really good jobs that encourage people to stay in the area. And we need to keep different community events going.”

Another way that young community members can get engaged is to follow in Ms. Compo’s footsteps in the world of politics. She offered some advice for those in the next generation who want to get involved.

“One of the main things to get your foot in the door is to volunteer. A lot of offices are looking for volunteers during the campaign season,” she said, adding that it’s also helpful to read about and be knowledgeable on the issues.

Ms. Compo said that while right now she’s unsure of what role she wishes to eventually play in politics, she probably would like to get more involved as her career progresses.

“I’m interested in any role that would let me make a difference in Northern New York,” she said. “I’ve always had an interest in politics and history, and even more so in the political process as I’ve grown older.”

Working in politics has revealed to Ms. Compo what she believes is one of the biggest myths in the field: the negativity associated with it.

“A lot of people have a negative perception, and it’s really not all negative,” she explained. “The biggest part of the job is helping constituents. As long as you have a good person in office, there shouldn’t be any kind of negative perception with politics.”

— Lorna Oppedisano

The Sarah v. Compo File Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Communications director/deputy district director for New York State Sen. Patricia A. Ritchie, Watertown Family: Parents, Tom and Judy Compo; sister, Ann Education: Bachelor’s in communications and business studies, SUNY Geneseo Community involvement: Owner, Soirée! NNY event planning; board member, North Country Arts Council; board member, Lucy’s House; volunteer, Paddle for Betterment Last book read: “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Erica C. Demick, 29 YesterYear’s Vintage Doors

E

rica C. Demick is only 29 years old, but she exudes a confidence and wisdom well beyond her age.

Those skills, coupled with a close-knit family, appear to be the winning formula for helping her reach her professional and personal goals.

The Hammond native has worked since 2007 as a partner in her family’s business, YesterYear’s Vintage Doors, 66 S. Main St. She serves as the company’s national sales and marketing manager, a job that puts her in contact with customers from across the United States, Canada and other locations.

Founded in 1990 by her parents, Howard W. and Rosemary Demick, the company handcrafts between 2,000 and 3,000 customized doors a year from a 13,000-square-foot facility in the village of Hammond. Besides her parents, the 13 full-time employees include her brother, Ryan D., who works as production and operations manager.

Ms. Demick said she’s a firm believer that creating a vision for the future is a key to success.

“Have a vision for your personal life and your business life and reevaluate it every so often,” she suggested. “It’s amazing what you can do when you set goals.”

Looking ahead to their parents’ retirement, Ms. Demick and her brother are preparing a long-term strategic plan for the company.

She’s confident that continuing to use high-quality materials and personal craftsmanship will keep the company moving forward.

Although she didn’t anticipate staying in the area after graduating from college, Ms. Demick said she is grateful to have a rewarding position that allows her to remain in the north country with her parents, brother and other extended family members.

“I like being my own boss and having the ability to shape the future of our company,” Ms. Demick said. “I also love the area.”

She believes that north country high schools should team up with the four colleges in St. Lawrence County to develop a message that encourages young people to live and work in the north country rather than move away. North country alumni could be invited to speak with students about their careers, she said.

“People should be encouraged to start their own businesses or

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generate income in multiple ways,” she said.

Being involved in community groups helps her network with a variety of people and learn from those she meets.

She serves as a charter member of the Northern New York Community Foundation’s LEAD Council, and secretary of the Thousand Islands Young Leaders Organization. She also founded the Town of Hammond’s Economic Development Committee and serves as chairwoman of the Town of Hammond’s Republican Committee.

She’s a member of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions.

She’s learned that getting involved is more effective than sitting back complaining and it’s a positive way to make connections in your personal and private lives.

“If you get involved, you find out things can be solved. Getting involved can be as simple as voting,” she said. “I think you can learn a lot from everybody, if you’re paying attention.”

Since last year, she has served as a mentor for freshman entrepreneurship students at Clarkson University and served as an advisory board member for the Thousand Islands Regional Assessment Project. She served on the fundraising committee for Samaritan Medical Center’s Thousand Islands Golf Classic.

She noted that doors made at their facility in Hammond have been shipped to customers in all 50 states, Canada, the Virgin Islands, Bahamas, and other locations. Many sales originate on the Internet through the company’s website, VintageDoors.com.

The company also advertises in national magazines such as “This Old House.”

Ms. Demick credits her parents for establishing a family business that may continue for generations. She has also been inspired by extended family members who run their own businesses.

“We have a strong entrepreneurial spirit,” she said. “We have a very strong family unit and we work well together.”

— Susan Mende

The ERICA C. DEMICK File Hometown: Hammond Professional position: National sales and marketing manager, YesterYear’s Vintage Doors Family: Parents, Howard W. and Rosemary Demick; brother, Ryan D. Education: Hammond Central School; bachelor’s in business, Clarkson University, 2007 Community involvement: Charter member, Northern New York Community Foundation LEAD Council; secretary, Thousand Islands Young Leaders Organization; founding member, Town of Hammond Economic Development Committee; chairwoman, Town of Hammond Republican Committee; member, Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions; mentor for freshman entrepreneurship students, Clarkson University; advisory board member, Thousand Islands Regional Assessment Project; fundraising committee member, Samaritan Medical Center’s Thousands Island Golf Classic.

Last book read: “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell December 2014 | NNY Business

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Rebecca Dunckel-King, 35 Beaver River High School

I

t is not every day you hear people say one of the reasons they get out of bed in the morning is because of their job, but for Rebecca Dunckel-King, it is.

“I love Beaver River. I really do. I feel like I have found my home,” Mrs. Dunckel-King said. “I love the teachers. This job is so much easier because of the teachers I have. They work so hard and they are so good. This place is amazing. The students at Beaver River are unlike students I have seen anywhere; they are so wonderful.”

Mrs. Dunckel-King is a north country native.

After college, she moved around a bit, but ultimately decided to return to her roots.

“I decided to move back to the north country because when you are a teenager, you are thinking that Lewis County is not the greatest place to live,” Mrs. DunckelKing said. “But when you become an adult and you are ready to get married and have children and settle down, this is the greatest place in the world.”

Mrs. Dunckel-King said her three children and her husband are the backbone of everything that she does and they are incredibly supportive. Time with her family has been an unfortunate sacrifice on her path to success.

“I was a teacher and I had summers off. Going into this I knew I was not just giving up summers, I was giving up time with my children,” Mrs. Dunckel-King said. “I just have to make sure the time we do spend together is really meaningful, quality time.”

Mrs. Dunckel-King said the best advice she ever got was from a couple who used to come into where she worked on Cape Cod. Each day they would come in, they’d encourage her to look at the bigger picture.

“I have always been the type of person to get things done. There is a difference between getting things done quickly and getting the right things done well,” Mrs. Dunckel-King said. “Almost all the time when I come against something where I have to make an important choice, I actually remember that couple and think I have to think of the bigger picture and I have to pick the one thing that I have to get done well.”

Mrs. Dunckel-King said Lowville Academy Elementary Principal Philomena Goss is one person who gives her the best advice. Mrs. Goss instilled in her the confidence and motivation to apply to SUNY Oswego’s educational leadership program and

24 | NNY Business | December 2014

earn a certificate in advanced studies. It meant taking a huge leap of faith.

She said a pivotal moment in her life was getting the job at Beaver River.

“I was trying to find my groove and find what I really wanted to do in administration. It just so happened that this job opened at the same time I was kind of questioning what I wanted to do, so I applied for this and I got it,” Mrs. Dunckel-King said.“Being here has changed my outlook on administration.”

Mrs. Dunckel-King said the harder people work to build relationships, the better the students are served.

Her success comes through building successful relationships with other administrators, teachers, students and parents.

“The closer you can get to them, the more you can tell them that we are in this together. We are working for the kids,” Mrs. Dunckel-King said. “If you get that message across and they know you are here for them, it just works well.”

What has she learned on her journey? She is much stronger that she thought she was and she understands people better than she thought she did.

“I have learned that I am much more compassionate and understanding now,” Mrs. Dunckel-King said. “You just get up and make sure that every question you ask is, ‘Is this good for kids?’ If it is, you do it.

If is not, you don’t.”

— Whitney Randolph

The REBECCA DUNCKEL-KING File Hometown: Lowville Professional position: High school principal, Beaver River Central School District Family: Husband, Daniel; daughters, Olivia, 9, Anna, 7, and son, Thomas, 3 Education: Bachelor’s degree, SUNY Oswego; master’s degree, SUNY Potsdam; certificate of advanced study in educational leadership, SUNY Oswego Community involvement: Lowville Youth Soccer Organization; YEAH! Community Coalition through Mountain View Prevention Services; coach, Odyssey of the Mind team Last book read: “The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way” by Amanda Ripley

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Trevor C. Garlock, 27 Northwestern Mutual

T

revor C. Garlock credits his parents with instilling a work ethic and mindset in him that enabled him to become successful.

The Alexandria Bay native’s father, Craig, is co-owner of Garlock’s Hardware & Lumber in the village and his mother, Cathy, is a real estate agent with Garlock Realty, Alexandria Bay. The couple also co-owns Bonnie Castle Resort and Marina in Alexandria Bay. “I was just really blessed to grow up in an entrepreneurial family who is involved in the community and who has instilled their values in me,” Mr. Garlock said.

Mr. Garlock said his parents are his mentors and have “left big shoes to fill.”

“Just growing up around business gives you a different perspective,” he said. “They just taught me to work really, really hard. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their love and guidance.”

Mr. Garlock, 27, is a financial planner with Northwestern Mutual in Watertown.

In that position, he helps people meet financial goals such as retiring, starting a new business or paying for a child’s college education.

He said the most rewarding part of the job is “being able to impact peoples’ lives in a direct and immediate way.”

“In a lot of ways, I’m an educator,” he said.

“I empower people to make decisions that they are informed on.”

For professional guidance he often turns to Dean Ripley, a wealth management advisor at Northwestern Mutual.

“Dean is a friend and colleague, but he sometimes tells me what I need to hear, rather than what I want to hear.”

Mr. Garlock said he is inspired by the belief that his efforts, both at work and in the community, have a positive impact on people.

“We’re all part of a bigger community, and if we put in an effort to impact someone’s life in a positive way, that’s important,” he said. “The good thing about growing up in a small town is that feeling that you’re part of something greater.”

He said if he could change one thing in the community, it would be the creation of more opportunities for young people to enable them to remain in the area.

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“Politically, we need to make the area more attractive for small businesses and start-ups,” Mr. Garlock said. “And, we need to incentivize larger companies to make this area a base to work out of. It’s really tough to start a business here.”

He said he would like to see someone start a college or university between Alexandria Bay and Clayton, which would bring year-round economic opportunities to the St. Lawrence River communities.

“They’ve already got the infrastructure in place and it would have an impact for the economy and the residents,” he said.

He said his hard work has come at the cost of leisure time, but he has no regrets about the long hours of work.

“I don’t like sitting still. I’m always doing something.

I get up and I’m go, go, go all day,” Mr. Garlock said.

“The things I work hardest for are worth the most in the end.”

— Brian Kelly

The Trevor c. garlock File Hometown: Alexandria Bay Professional position: Financial planner, Northwestern Mutual, Watertown Family: Parents, Craig and Cathy Garlock; brothers, Andrew and McKenzie; sister, Morgan Education: Bachelor’s degrees in economics and environmental studies, St. Lawrence University Community involvement: Charter member, Northern New York Community Foundation LEAD Council; national board member, The Foundation for Community Betterment; board member, executive steering committee, Thousand Islands Young Leadership Organization; coach, Alexandria Bay Minor Hockey Association Last book read: “The Energy Bus” by Jon Gordon December 2014 | NNY Business

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Dr. Shari M. Hogan, 36

Child & Adolescent Health Associates

D

r. Shari M. Hogan recalls being a bad patient as a child.

“Dr. Perciaccante said I used to scream all the time,” the pediatric doctor said, laughing.

The now-retired Dr. Ronald G. Perciaccante towered over Dr. Hogan when she was a child and his patient. But thanks to guidance he provided later in life, Dr. Hogan now walks in his shadow at Watertown’s Child and Adolescent Health Associates on Washington Street.

People providing such guidance is one key to success for young people in the north country, Dr. Hogan said. She trained with Dr. Perciaccante, and at one time shared an office with him at CAHA a few years ago.

“I feel very blessed having trained with him,” said Dr. Hogan, who is also chief of pediatrics at Samaritan Medical Center.

Dr. Hogan also took advantage of other opportunities available in the north country for young people considering medical careers. She shadowed Dr. Alfred L. Gianfagna at Watertown Pediatrics and took advantage of career exploration programs as a high school student at General Brown Central School, where she graduated in 1995.

Also helping her to pursue her career were scholarships from the Northern New York Community Foundation and the Northern New York Rural Health Care Alliance.

With a medical degree, Dr. Hogan could have picked anywhere in the country to practice. But she decided to return to Northern New York.

“It’s where I’m from. It’s where my roots are. I find family is very important,” she said.

But there was something else.

“I wanted to give back to the community and do sort of what Dr. Perciaccante did for me.”

Dr. Hogan serves the community in other ways in addition to her medical service. She has been a board member of the Thompson Park Conservancy, the Jefferson Physicians Organization and the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization.

She has cut back her civic duties the past couple of years to focus on raising her family. She and her husband, Jared M., a state trooper, are the parents of 2-year-old Lacy and 3-month-old Leah.

“They are only young once,” Dr. Hogan said. “It’s important to spend time with them while they are home.”

She plans to ramp up her civic volunteer duties again once her

26 | NNY Business | December 2014

children are in school. She now balances family and home life by working 12-hour days and being on call at SMC. On her journey as a mom, Dr. Hogan has discovered something.

“I think I’m a different and better pediatrician since I became a mother, that’s for sure,” Dr. Hogan said. “It definitely puts another aspect to it. You have more empathy.”

As a child, Dr. Hogan didn’t think that one day she would be a doctor, especially since she is the first in her family to attend college. She credits an adviser at St. Lawrence University, Canton, where she graduated in 1999, for urging her to consider a medical career. At the time, she didn’t think it was sound advice.

“I literally laughed,” Dr. Hogan said.

But after giving it serious thought, she applied to SUNY Upstate Medical University.

“It was meant to be,” Dr. Hogan said. “It sort of fell in my lap in one way, but you had to work really hard academically and build your resume with a lot of community projects.”

She added, “Anybody can do it as long as you work hard and find the right people to motivate you and support you.”

She wants to encourage other young people considering a medical career to find that motivation. Some medical students have asked if they could shadow her, including one who has been accepted to SUNY Upstate Medical University.

If she does inspire others to pursue the medical profession, the students will discover what motivates Dr. Hogan professionally.

“I love my job,” she said. “I like

getting to watch the kids grow up. I like promoting health prevention and safety. It’s also about the relationship with families you develop over time.”

— Chris Brock

The DR. SHARI M. HOGAN File Hometown: Dexter Professional position: Pediatrician, Child and Adolescent Health Associates, Watertown; chief of pediatrics, Samaritan Medical Center Family: Parents, Mason and Polly Swan; husband, Jared M. Hogan, New York state trooper; children, Lacy, 2, and Leah, 3 months Education: General Brown High School, 1995; St. Lawrence University, magna cum laude, 1999; Upstate Medical University, 2003, doctor of medicine; internship and residency in pediatrics, University of North Carolina Children’s Hospital, Chapel Hill, 2006 Community involvement: Board member: Thompson Park Conservancy, Jefferson Physicians Organization, Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. Early stages of creating a Reach Out and Read Program at her practice. The national nonprofit promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms by integrating children’s books and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud into well-child visits.

Last book read: “The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room” by Stan and Jan Berenstain. “I read it to my daughter last night before she went to bed.”

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Joey Marie Horton, 28 North Country Family Health Center

W

hat drives Joey Marie Horton to be the successful leader?

“The best advice I’ve ever followed was from Denise Young, who was my former boss,” Mrs. Horton said. “Denise told me on numerous occasions that to be a truly good leader I needed to surround myself with really smart, committed, hardworking individuals, and then I needed to empower them to excel at their jobs.”

The 28-year-old North Country Family Health Center executive director has taken that advice to heart. She considers her team “tremendous” and she does everything she can to help them excel.

“My success and the progress that we have made at the health center can only be attributed to their great work,” Mrs. Horton said.

Mrs. Horton was appointed executive director in February after serving as interim director for four months. She’s had several jobs leading up to her present one, but the one few know about is the time she spent in a rat lab.

“I was a research assistant on a study evaluating the impact of neglectful upbringing on stress management,” said Mrs. Horton, who tested rat blood for stress hormones.

Mrs. Horton cited many people who have motivated her in her young career, including her mother, colleague Dr. Dana Shaw and Samaritan Medical Center CEO Thomas H. Carman. Each have taught her the value of ambition, how to see the bigger picture, how to be a compassionate health care administrator and finding balance between work and family, which is a challenge. When it comes to what she’s sacrificed, she is quick to say time with her husband, Hunter.

“As most working mothers would say when we think of our personal lives, we put our children first, then our husband,” she admitted.

“Luckily, I am blessed with an exceptionally understanding husband who supports me unconditionally. I wouldn’t be where I am today without his support, guidance and encouragement.”

Mrs. Horton is the mother to a 22-month-old son, Greyson, who gets her out of bed each morning. “[He] calls for ‘Mommy, Mommy’ at 4:30 a.m. Though I wish he were a better sleeper, nothing in this world beats

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those words with a big bright smile in the morning,” she said.

While her family supports her, her work motivates her.

“There is never a dull moment, which I love. Every day brings some new adventure or problem,” said Mrs. Horton, who does not balk at the challenge. “There have been numerous changes in health care within the last couple of years and more changes are coming. This is a truly exciting time to be in this field; to be part of a systematic change with a goal of making the entire system patient-centered and focused on quality as opposed to quantity.”

While there’s a long road ahead for the health care industry, it was a long road for her to get to where she is now.

“I have learned that what seems to be impossible can always be made possible if you take it one step at a time; that it is important to delegate and that perfection is not always possible,” said Mrs. Horton, whose work is just beginning.

Things may seem like they’re going well for the Alexandria Bay graduate, but there’s at least one person she’d be willing to trade places with.

“Angelina Jolie. She has utilized her fame and fortune to do amazing philanthropic and advocacy work throughout the world, which I admire, and she is a busy working mom,” Mrs. Horton said.

“It would be incredible to spend a day, with the resources available to her, doing amazing things for people in need.”

Of the draw to working in her own community, she added, “Given that we live in a small community you truly can see the impact that you are making first hand when you get involved and engage. I am inspired by the people in this community who make this such a great place to live.”

-- Amanda Thompson-Tangalin

The Joey marie horton File Hometown: Alexandria Bay Professional position: Executive director, North Country Family Health Center Family: Parents, Joseph and Diane Recupero; husband, Hunter; son, Greyson, 22 months Education: Bachelor’s in psychology and health studies with honors, Queen’s University; master of business administration in health services management, SUNYIT Community involvement: Board member: School-Based Health Care Alliance, Washington, D.C., Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization, Greater Watertown Jaycees – also membership vice president, New York Statewide Health Center Controlled Network; member: North Country Behavioral Healthcare Network and American College of Health Care Executives Last book read: “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown. “It’s one of my son’s favorites at bedtime.”

December 2014 | NNY Business

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NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Jacob S. ‘Jake’ Johnson, 29 Jake’s Lawn Care & Landscaping

J

acob S. “Jake” Johnson figures he’s cut about 20,000 lawns in his lifetime, most of them during the past 10 years while he’s owned a Watertown lawn care business.

Starting around age 12, the Watertown native knew even then how to accumulate clients. About a half-dozen neighbors on the city’s north side paid him $20 to mow their lawns once a week.

It taught him the importance of having a good work ethic, something he proudly continues to this day.

Today, Jake’s Lawn Care & Landscaping has about 1,000 clients and up to a dozen employees, depending on the season. When the weather changes, some 100 snow-plowing jobs means steady business continues during the dead of winter.

He started the business just shy of his 20th birthday. Even then, he knew he wanted to work for himself. Starting the lawn care business, he remembered, was “really the most economic decision” he could make at the time.

“It fits my personality,” he said, adding that he loves working outdoors.

After a decade, the lawn care jobs continue to grow. Every day, he arrives at his Flower Street office 30 minutes before his crew and plans out the day for them. He also continues to find new ways to do business and how to be creative.

“You have to learn new things for your business to grow because it’s so competitive,” he said. “I’m always trying to stay sharp.”

While he’s a business owner, Mr. Johnson has a strong kinship with the men on his crew, partly because he started working for himself at such a young age. The 2003 Immaculate Heart Central graduate who was voted “Class Clown” admitted that he occasionally wonders what his life would be like if he were a member of the crew and “not the stressed out boss.”

Since the beginning, his good friend and mentor, Kevin P. Lundy, who has worked in the landscaping field for about 30 years, has been the person he goes to when he needs advice on business matters.

“He’s my go-to-guy,” he said.

Mr. Johnson also learned a great deal from both of his parents, David W. and Patricia A. Johnson. They taught him the importance of being himself and to follow his heart, which he’s tried to adhere to during his life.

They also instilled a strong work ethic

28 | NNY Business | December 2014

in him at a young age.

And there’s nothing wrong with looking to as many people you know for advice. Since many clients are friends, many of whom he’s known most of his life, he sometimes turns to them for guidance about his business, family and life in general.

Some of what they have told him is the most important advice he’s ever received, he said.

“I want to be the person I want to be, not the person I don’t want to be,” he said.

Mr. Johnson also credits his grandparents, Steve and Lucy Mylo. His grandfather held a variety of maintenance jobs, and his grandmother was of full Lithuanian descent. Like so many other families on the north side, his grandparents had a constant presence in his life.

Owning a business means you have to make sacrifices. But striking the right balance between knowing your neighbors, maintaining a strong allegiance to your community and juggling family is also important, he explained. His childhood experiences taught him to work hard.

“Everyone was proud of growing up on the north side,” he said.

He’s also learned a lot from his Catholic upbringing, going to local parochial schools from the time he was in kindergarten. His faith remains strong in his life. And he believes it’s played a big role in his success.

He cares about Watertown and what the city has given him. That’s why when it’s time to take vacation, he remains close to home.

“You’d find us at Dry Hill skiing,” he said.

— Craig Fox

The jacob s. ‘jake’ johnson File Hometown: Watertown Professional position: Owner, Jake’s Lawn Care & Landscaping Family: Parents, David W. and Patricia A. Johnson; daughter, Lucy, 4; fiancée, Katherine K. Schneeberger Education: Immaculate Heart Central School, 2003 Community involvement: Donated labor and landscaping material to the New York State Zoo at Thompson Park, Flower Memorial Library, local Catholic schools and the Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse Last book read: “Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and the Middle Class Do Not!” by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Megan LaClaire, 34 Perfectly Polished Nails & Waxing Spa

M

egan LaClaire was knocked down, but rose above it all to provide a better life for her family.

Ms. LaClaire lost her husband, U.S. Army Spc. Jeremy LaClaire, on Dec. 1, 2007. He was a member of the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum and served in Afghanistan from 2006 to 2007. They were married for 11 years.

“It is like someone put you in a snow globe and shook it up,” Ms. LaClaire said. “Your whole life has been shaken up and you are just waiting for all of the pieces to fall, so you can look around and see where to put them back together.”

Ms. LaClaire picked up the pieces by going back to school in order to provide for her family. She spent five months driving to and from Syracuse to earn a technical education and professional licenses. Along the way, she had to make a few sacrifices.

“It is not what I ever anticipated doing in my life but I know I am exactly where I am supposed to be,” Ms. LaClaire said. “I don’t think sacrifice is necessarily the right word; I made choices. I chose to do one thing and not another. I willingly gave up [other things] to pursue what was best for our family. I made a choice and I am happy with it.”

She said what she loves most about her job is being able to empower women. Just getting her nails done can be enough to make a woman feel good about herself.

Women have been made to think that if they are not a size 2, then they’re not worthy of feeling good about themselves, Ms. LaClaire said. Feeling beautiful is just as important for women who are a size 12.

“It is not about your size, it is about how you wear your size and how you portray yourself,” Ms. LaClaire said.

Helping others brings Ms. LaClaire joy and her deep resumé of volunteer work is not surprising.

“Making women feel more feminine empowers them. It makes them feel more positive about their self-image,” Ms. LaClaire said. “I am blessed enough to work out of my home, so I can be available for my children and set my schedule around them.”

Ms. LaClaire’s journey has taught her that life will sometimes knock a person down, but what

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defines them is how they bounce back.

“I think my journey has taught me how to be independent, how to not rely on anyone else for anything and how to take care of my children. And I have that connection — that bond with my children on a level that most parents don’t — because I made choices that were in their best interest, not what I planned for my life, but what needed to happen,” Ms. LaClaire said.

Ms. LaClaire said her children inspire her to work hard every day. She gets up early most days to provide a positive morning and make them a hot breakfast. They sit down together as a family at the table and talk about what their day holds.

“I try very, very hard to wake up every day and just be thankful that I have another day,” Ms. LaClaire said. “Every day is blessing, every day is a gift, so live every day to its full potential because tomorrow is not promised. Hug your family a little bit tighter, tell the people you love you love them and always remember to do things that make you happy.”

— Whitney Randolph

The Megan LaClaire File Hometown: Newport, Vt. Professional position: Owner, Perfectly Polished Nails and Waxing Spa Family: Son, Jeremy, 15; daughter, Elizabeth, 14 Education: North Country Union High School, Newport, Vt.; Continental School of Beauty, Syracuse Community involvement: Volunteer: Adult Daycare at Lewis County General Hospital, Maple Ridge Meal Center, Rainbow Girls and Rainbow Camp, Survivor Outreach Services – Fort Drum, Army Family Action Planning and Army Emergency Relief; instructor, Army Community Services; started a bereavement support group with hospice.

Last book read: “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin December 2014 | NNY Business

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Aaron Miller, 37 Miller Spraying & Miller Turf

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n the past decade, Aaron Miller has grown a one-man commercial spraying operation into a pair of agribusinesses that employ between 10 and 16 people, depending on the season.

The owner of Miller Spraying and Miller Turf is quick to credit others for his business successes.

“I focus on doing what I do well and surrounding myself with others who do what they do well,” he said.

“Know your limitations and allow others to use their skills, and everybody shines.”

Mr. Miller added that watching employees rise to challenges placed before them is the most exciting part of his job.

“Really, the secret to my business is great people,” he said.

However, his employees have no problem giving credit to the man in charge.

“Aaron provides a valuable service to the agriculture industry in Lewis, Jefferson, St. Lawrence and Oneida counties,” staff members wrote in a nomination letter for this honor. “He is recognized as honest and knowledgeable. As he expands his business, he not only adds employees but keeps a number of other local businesses busy with new buildings and construction. He takes his responsibility as an employer seriously and considers himself not only responsible to his employees but also to their families. He is very supportive of family and community involvement, encouraging his employees to participate in activities outside of work, even rearranging the work schedule to allow them to do so.”

Despite having no formal business education and only a couple of years of experience as a pesticide applicator, Mr. Miller in 2003 financed his first sprayer. He now has a fleet of five such machines, spraying around 40,000 acres of crops each year and selling more than $1 million worth of corn and forage seeds.

In 2007, he expanded into the turf business, now providing weed control and fertilization services to more than 200 commercial and residential lawn accounts throughout the north country.

Also, as a board member of Son Light Missions Lacolline, which operates a Christian mission compound in Haiti, he helped get several truckloads of supplies to that island country following a devastating earthquake there in 2010 and visited Haiti four times in the past year.

“I couldn’t do that without a great support system at my business,” Mr. Miller said.

30 | NNY Business | December 2014

There are also few secrets among Mr. Miller and employees at the business, located on Route 26 north of Lowville, since they pool their money and share lunch on a daily basis.

“We eat lunch together, so everybody knows everybody really well,” he said.

Mr. Miller said the north country is not only a great place to live but also to find quality employees.

“It’s an excellent place to do business, where we all live, work and play together,” he said.

However, one area in which he would like to see improvement is the building and zoning permit processes, which he said could be streamlined.

“It discourages everybody but the very, very determined people,” said Mr. Miller, who in recent years has added a couple of buildings to expand his operation and services.

In order to retain young business leaders, local leaders must find ways to encourage growth and expansion, he said.

Mr. Miller said he has had many mentors over the years, so singling out one or two would be difficult.

“I try to watch a lot of people who I deem successful,” he said.

However, Mr. Miller said he tends to get the best advice from his father, Daniel, owner of Miller’s Meat Market in Watson, and credits his upbringing with preparing him for the world of business.

“To me, business is about service,” he said. “Growing up at a meat market and catering really showed you how to serve people.”

— Steve Virkler

The AARON MILLER File Hometown: Lowville Professional position: Owner, Miller Spraying and Miller Turf Family: Wife, Monica; children, Saige, Skyla, Summer, Sydnee, Stoan and Slate Education: River Valley Mennonite School Community involvement: Minister of music, Naumburg Mennonite Church; board member, Son Light Missions Lacolline; member, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Lewis County agricultural advisory committee Last book read: “Son of Hamas” by Mosab Hassan Yousef, and the Bible

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Michelle Monnat, 30 Children’s Home of Jefferson County

T

he paths were many for Michelle Monnat, but her journey has kept her in the north country, where she serves in a variety of roles at the Children’s Home of Jefferson County.

Her life could have gone in many different directions. She thought of becoming a veterinarian, fueled by a love of animals. Politics was another possibility; she served as an intern for three summers on former U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton’s staff, helping with regional projects. Despite being energized by the senator, something about the world of politics just didn’t fit.

“You can make big changes in terms of legislation, but it was more important to me to work with the more generational things right in your community,” she said.

The Lowville native’s road became clearer as an undergraduate at St. Lawrence University, studying psychology, and later completing a master’s degree in mental health counseling.

A therapy internship during her master’s studies started her work at the Children’s Home and, during the past seven years, she has risen to take on a range of different challenges. At 28, she led the organization’s foster care department, helping to oversee care for 100 children as their cases worked through the family court system.

“You have an opportunity to intervene in a part of a person’s life,” Ms. Monnat said. “You could be the powder keg that sets them on the trajectory toward success.”

Ms. Monnat’s powder keg may have been her parents, who instilled the value of hard work starting with her earliest childhood chores.

“You always do it right the first time,” she said. “The concept is to never put off until tomorrow what you could do today.”

Growing up, Ms. Monnat said her parents looked to find role models like doctors, lawyers and teachers to help inspire her and her older sister, Shannon, become the first generation in their family to go to college.

“Exposing me to these people inspired me to be a professional at some level,” Ms. Monnat said.

In February, she became information technology manager for the Children’s Home, a position they had unsuccessfully tried to fill for two years.

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Karen Richmond, the nonprofit’s executive director, said Ms. Monnat stepped up to complete training for the job despite it being outside her comfort zone.

“She’s versatile,” Mrs. Richmond said. “She’s so unique, in that she starves for challenges. She loves to succeed.”

Ms. Monnat’s work will prove critical as the state looks to apply strict standards for electronic record-keeping among health care facilities. Computer systems at the Children’s Home must maintain security and confidentiality of patient records, while allowing access for providers that need it.

Mrs. Richmond said Ms. Monnat jumped at the opportunity to take training from the Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization to help improve the organization’s efforts.

“She’s not an 8 to 4 person,” Mrs. Richmond said. “She’s a hard worker. She looks at it as being a gift to her.”

Ms. Monnat’s efforts were evident as the Children’s Home recently shifted some of its offices, but saw a massive slowdown in Internet speed during that change. Working between staff inside and outside the organization, she was able to find ways to get their systems back to full speed.

“She just got into it,” Mrs. Richmond said. “She kept digging and digging and digging.”

Asked what she wants for her future, Ms. Monnat said she felt she would continue to grow and evolve. One goal is to become a director of a facility like the Children’s Home, or possibly go into law to help children like those she sees at the Children’s Home.

Regardless of what her future holds, Ms. Monnat said she is happy with the progress she’s made so far.

“It’s been an interesting ride, but I wouldn’t change a moment of it.”

— Gordon Block

The MICHELLE MONNAT FILE Hometown: Lowville Professional position: Quality assurance, information technology manager, Children’s Home of Jefferson County Family: Parents, Paul and Christina Monnat; sister, Shannon Education: Bachelor’s in psychology and master’s in mental health counseling, St. Lawrence University Community involvement: Board member, North Country Council of Social Agencies; alumni advisor, Kappa Kappa Gamma, St. Lawrence University Last book read: “Three Little Words” by Ashley Rhodes-Courter December 2014 | NNY Business

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Samuel M. Purington, 37

Volunteer Transportation Center

H

is wife’s experience working at a nonprofit agency and a desire to spend more time with his growing family convinced Samuel M. Purington to take a pay cut, leave the corporate world and become executive director of the nonprofit Volunteer Transportation Center.

“My wife had been the director of the Lewis County Domestic Violence and Rape Crisis Unit, so I had lots of experience with how rewarding a career in nonprofits could be,” Mr. Purington said. “She has had a huge impact on mentoring me and helping me to see the pros and cons of the career choices I’ve made.”

In 2010, Mr. Purington was appointed executive director of the agency at 203 N. Hamilton St., Watertown. He left a job as business development and engineering manager at Kraft Foods Inc., Lowville, after more than a decade with the North American food giant.

The career change has given Mr. Purington more time to spend with his wife, Kathleen, and their three children: Jack, 9, Julia, 5 and Charlie, 2. He and his wife are graduates of Carthage High School and SUNY Potsdam. Mr. Purington earned a master of business administration from Clarkson University.

“As your kids get older and you get older, your priorities shift,” he said.

Since he joined the Volunteer Transportation Center, Mr. Purington has been able to expand the agency’s services from Jefferson County to Lewis and St. Lawrence counties.

The agency helps north county residents, including the elderly, with transportation for medical appointments, grocery shopping and other needed trips.

Under his leadership, the number of miles driven by volunteers has grown from 2 million to 4.5 million annually, and the number of volunteer drivers has increased to 250.

What he enjoys most about working for the center is “being part of a team of people that want to make something better,” Mr. Purington said.

His mentor in the nonprofit sector has been Benjamin P. Coe, the Volunteer Transportation Center board member emeritus who nominated him for this award.

Mr. Coe has taught him to understand “the balance between helping people and running the business of a nonprofit, so you can continue helping people for years to come,” Mr. Purington said.

“Those working with Sam have seen how incredibly skilled

32 | NNY Business | December 2014

he is with computer technology, in managing and motivating staff and volunteers, in verbal communications, and in working with a board of directors to propel the organization into a financially thriving nonprofit corporation,” Mr. Coe wrote in his nomination.

Mr. Purington, a board member of the Watertown Noon Rotary Club, is also committee chairman of the “Roses for Ghana” effort that several north country Rotary International clubs support. The project raises money to help pay for wells and latrines throughout the West African nation.

He is also a member of the Samaritan Keep Home board of directors, past volunteer for the Meals On Wheels program and a youth soccer coach.

Mr. Purington said one of the “biggest myths” in the business world is that “business people don’t care about the community, they just care about the bottom line.”

“I have met so many business owners who have strong feelings of belonging to their community and have made a commitment to make it a better place for this generation and the next,” said Mr. Purington, a 2011 graduate of the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Jefferson Leadership Institute Class.

What’s his advice to other young professionals?

“Make sure you establish boundaries for how much of yourself you are willing to give to your work,” Mr. Purington said. “Finding the right balance of work and personal life is more than a catch phrase.”

One thing his co-workers may be surprised to learn about him?

“I don’t like to drive long distances,” he said.

— Norah Machia

The SAMUEL M. PURINGTON File Hometown: Carthage Professional position: Executive director, Volunteer Transportation Center, Watertown Family: Wife, Kathleen; children, Jack, 9, Julia, 5, and Charlie, 2 Education: Jefferson Community College; bachelor’s in managerial accounting and employment relations, SUNY Potsdam; master of business administration, Clarkson University Community involvement: Chairman, Watertown Noon Rotary Club Joint International Projects committee; board member, Samaritan Keep Home; member: North Country Council of Social Agencies and Watertown City Transportation Council; 2011 graduate, Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce Jefferson Leadership Institute Last book read: “Fall of Giants” by Ken Follett

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Michelle I. Quinell-Gayle, 39 St. Lawrence NYSARC

W

hen it comes to good business, Michelle I. Quinell-Gayle believes in making local connections, giving credit where it’s due, and good old R-E-S-P-E-C-T. “If you’re not respecting your team, you really cannot create anything,” she said, stressing that it’s important to value an employee’s talents and not see them as subordinates. “That’s what separates people.”

The 39-year-old assistant executive director of community relations for St. Lawrence NYSARC, Canton, created the organization’s community relations department 10 years ago, which she now runs with a staff of eight.

Under her direction, the department has increased NYSARC’s revenue through fundraising, and has improved the quality of it services, according those who nominated her. She previously worked as a publicist in New York City, achieving media placements in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Parade magazine, and on MSNBC. Mrs. Quinell-Gayle said her late father, who was a school board president and accountant at General Motors, taught her to be consistent, serious, and rational when making decisions.

Mrs. Quinell-Gayle said she returned to the north country after the sudden death of her father, also coming back to care for her ailing mother. She said she was fortunate to find employment with NYSARC in a new position that she had the freedom to design herself.

“It was a dream,” she said. “I wasn’t sure if they’d want someone my age but our CEO is a visionary.”

She said she stayed in the region because she is proud of her job, and because there is much more to do to improve public perception of people with disabilities.

Of all her working adventures, through New Jersey, New York City and elsewhere, she said working for NYSARC has been one of the most fulfilling.

“What you get working with people with disabilities is the emotional support, but also the relationships that you build,” she said. “I don’t think I expected that when this position came open.”

She said it is incredibly gratifying to see

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program participants get to express themselves through art for their community.

On her journey she has learned to be creative, compassionate and persistent, and to maintain a balance between work and home life.

When asked what company she’d like to see realized in the region, she envisioned a conference center, so that the north country could become a stop for big entertainment acts and other events as they travel through town, connecting with venues in Syracuse, Montreal and Plattsburgh. She explained that creation of such a venue would encourage people to stay local and would create jobs.

Asked how the region can retain its youth, Mrs. Quinell-Gayle said access to local internships and entry-level jobs are keys. She explained that her experiences outside the region prepared her for her present job.

“In order to come back and get this job, I really did need to get the experiences that I did,” she said. “I think if I had had an opportunity for even an internship or something where I could have stayed local, I might not have gone to the city.”

Cherry L. Andre, who nominated Mrs. Quinell-Gayle, said that through a deep understanding of community, she has been able to delicately and compassionately work with NYSARC’s program participants and their families, a necessity when they have a variety of literacy levels and socioeconomic circumstances.

“Michelle’s approach and solid connections create lasting relationships, built on trust and belief in the quality of life all people should enjoy,” she said, adding that a proud parent gratefully hugged Mrs. Quinell-Gayle in tears after she helped her son achieve his dream of becoming an actor. “[She] is a voice you can depend on and trust, knowing that she follows through on her word.”

— Alan Rizzo

The michelle I. quinell-gayle File Hometown: Helena Professional position: Assistant executive director of community relations, St. Lawrence NYSARC Family: Husband, Matthew A. Gayle, music teacher, Hermon-DeKalb Central School; son Wesley Q., 6 months Education: Bachelor’s in mass media communications with a music minor, SUNY Plattsburgh Community involvement: Member: Canton Rotary Club and Team NYSARC; board member, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce; merit badge counselor, Boy Scouts of America Last book read: “What to Expect the First Year” by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel, and “Just After Sunset: Stories by Stephen King” December 2014 | NNY Business

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Amanda Root, 35

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County

A

manda Root knew she wanted to work closely with children and their families. She thought she would achieve her goal as a teacher, but after accepting what she thought would be a temporary job at Cornell Cooperative Extension in 2003, she found her new calling.

“I didn’t think I would actually stay here that long. I thought I would just be here a few months and then find a teaching job and I just fell in love with the work that we do here,” Mrs. Root said.

Mrs. Root has lived in the north country her entire life. She graduated from Sackets Harbor Central School in 1997 and last year her daughter, Alexis Stewart, graduated from her alma mater.

She started working at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County after she graduated from SUNY Oswego with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and as she was working on a master’s degree in literacy.

As a December graduate, she knew she wouldn’t likely find a teaching job until the next school year.

“I like the diversity of the work that we do here. I like that it’s education, but it’s non-traditional education, so we’re working with a whole variety of audiences. We’re working with whole families,” Mrs. Root said.

In her present post, she has worked to secure grants for a wide range of projects. She said she started off working with parents, helping to teach them skills to work with their children.

In the past few years she has transitioned into nutrition and health education, which she said is a personal interest.

“It’s wonderful when your personal and professional interests line up and it doesn’t necessarily feel like work every day,” Mrs. Root said.

Lisa Vaughn, association program secretary for Cornell Cooperative Extension, nominated Mrs. Root for this award because of her strong work ethic.

“Amanda is a very smart, organized professional who is very good at her job,” Ms. Vaughn said. “She is very dedicated to her work and doing the best job she can.”

One thing Mrs. Root loves about her job is that she is closely involved with projects from the beginning, doing grant writing and later seeing a project through to completion.

“I could have an idea and develop the idea with a group of people and then if we saw a need in the community, help fill the 34 | NNY Business | December 2014

need, find the funding and see the project through,” Mrs. Root said.

From the idea stage to collaboration with other staff and community members, she is involved with multiple aspects of projects.

“In this job you aren’t doing to same thing every day; it keeps it from getting boring,” Mrs. Root said. “Hire the staff, find the funding and see everything through until it can be implemented in the community. It’s a really exciting thing.”

Diane Leonard of D.H. Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services said she nominated Mrs. Root for this award because of her engagement with the community. As a north country native, Mrs. Leonard said Mrs. Root is sincerely committed to her community. Her dedication to a healthy community transcends her job, she said. Mrs. Root runs races, triathlons, and half-marathons. She said her commitment to a healthy community is a big part of her life.

“Amanda is always trying to make healthy choices the easier choice for her community,” Ms. Vaughn said. “She lives a healthy lifestyle and she is trying to make it easier for others in her community.”

Mrs. Root said one of her greatest inspirations to be an active community servant came from her grandmother, Elizabeth Walker.

Mrs. Root said she watched her grandmother while growing up and she admired her dedication to her work as a nurse, and the impact she had on her community and family.

“She retired after I entered the workforce and I always heard people talk about the impact of her service on the community; it gave me something to strive for,” Mrs. Root said.

— Katherine Clark Ross

The AMANDA ROOT File Hometown: Sackets Harbor Professional position: Community nutrition and health program leader, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County Family: Husband, Randy Root, city of Watertown firefighter; daughter, Alexis Stewart, 18 Education: Sackets Harbor Central School; bachelor’s in elementary education and master’s in literacy, SUNY Oswego Community involvement: Board member, National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences; past board member, Community Action Planning Council Last book read: “The Time Keeper” by Mitch Albom

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Stuart Schmitt, 28

Watertown Family YMCA

T

here are plenty of moving pieces at the Watertown Family YMCA, between multiple locations in the city and county, about 270 employees and hundreds of volunteers, and a seemingly endless list of program offerings.

One person ensuring the quality of the organization’s workforce is Stuart Schmitt, its human resources director. Among his responsibilities is orienting new employees and observing a wide range of child care, sports and other wellness events.

“Whether in child care, or getting people healthy, we provide an incredibly important service here at the Y,” Mr. Schmitt said. “For me, knowing that our staff is trained out there makes a huge difference.”

The 28-year-old Kitchener, Ont., Canada, native, who studied at the University of Ottawa, SUNY Cortland and Springfield College, said his inspiration to enter the human resources field was spurred by his interest in psychology, which helped him connect with the support of new workers within the organization.

“Training is a big thing for me,” Mr. Schmitt said. “Personally, I’m always trying to go deeper into my own training.”

Arriving in early 2011, Mr. Schmitt said the key to his development in the human resources post has been remaining humble and working with and leaning on co-workers to make his work better.

“I’m not doing it on my own,” he said.

“I’m one piece of a larger puzzle.”

Mr. Schmitt noted his age and experience make him somewhat unique when he meets with other human resources professionals.

“It’s a hurdle to get over, and something I’ve gotten used to in the four years I’ve been here,” he said.

Despite his youth, the reviews of his work have been solid. Rebecca Reed, executive director of the organization’s youth development programs, said Mr. Schmitt quickly developed in the job, a new one for the Y. “He was able to walk in and do that almost seamlessly,” she said. “He went from being the new kid to being someone we seek out for sage advice.”

With a wide range of work for the Y and the organization’s rapid development, Mrs. Reed called Mr. Schmitt “the glue” for

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workers across departments.

“With the Y we have so many facets, so many moving pieces, it’s easy to look at the pieces right in front of them,” she said.

“He’s able to move from one department to another seamlessly and, in a subtle way, keep us focused on the fact that we’re working on something much larger than what is in front of us.”

Among the benefits of having Mr. Schmitt, Mrs. Reed said, is being able to go after better job candidates.

“As we continue to grow, and continue to recruit, it’s easier to do so with a professional like Stuart on board,” she said.

In the future, Mr. Schmitt said, he wants to help develop training tools and programs for the Y at the national level, primarily in the areas of new employee orientations and standardizing work practices.

Meanwhile, he said it is important to follow the advice he has received from other human resource practitioners to find passion in his work.

“Make sure you like what you do,” Mr. Schmitt said.

Asked what leaders around the north country can do to keep talented young people within the community, Mr. Schmitt said it was critical for officials to adapt their own ways of thinking, and to seek out the opinions of young people when gauging needs in both work and social offerings.

“Kids my age are not looking for a 9 to 5 desk job,” he said. “Outside of the professional realm, look at entertainment and housing. It’s important to find things for young people to do to avoid brain drain and other things.”

— Gordon Block

The Stuart schmitt File Hometown: Kitchener, Ont., Canada Professional position: Director of human resources, Watertown Family YMCA Family: Parents, Peter and Jane Schmitt Education: Bachelor’s degree, SUNY Cortland, transferred from the University of Ottawa; master’s in industrial and organizational psychology, Springfield College Community involvement: Watertown Family YMCA campaign coordinator, United Way of Northern New York; volunteer, Building Blocks Last book read: “Inferno” by Dan Brown December 2014 | NNY Business

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NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Robert M. Sligar, 29

Carthage Federal Savings & Loan Association

I

f there was a “Who’s Who” for service with Carthage-area organizations and civic groups, you would undoubtedly see the name Robert M. Sligar.

The Carthage native was taught at a young age by his parents, Michael and Joanne Sligar, the importance of community service.

He sees his parents as his mentors.

“My mom was very involved in the community and giving back to those in need and my father is an extremely dedicated and ethical person. They worked very hard to provide for our family,” the 29-year-old Mr. Sligar said.

His sense for community keeps him going.

“In a time when [the media often] show more negatives than positives, it’s that one person who is willing to step out of their way to help another that puts a smile on my face and gets me out of bed,” he said.

After living in Boston for three years, he learned “there’s no place like home” and returned to the north country. While in Boston he sacrificed time with his family, working holidays and not being able to visit home. He said his family was a driving force in his decision to return as well as the community, which he sees as “one big family with so many great organizations and people. I want to do my part to help continue that legacy in the north country.”

“The people in the north country are just great people,” Mr. Sligar said. “Countless times during benefit drives for someone in need, communities have stepped to the plate to support.”

Fitting in to his sense of community, the Carthage Federal Savings & Loan Association loan officer is encouraged to serve the community, as are all of the bank’s employees.

Mr. Sligar feels if young people care about the north country, they will stay here. The way to inspire this sense of community is to get them involved early in their careers.

“I believe we can do so the same way my mother did with my brothers and sisters. Get children involved at a young age. Open their eyes to all the good in

36 | NNY Business | December 2014

our area and inspire them to give back. We have great jobs in the area,” he said. “We have great organizations that do wonderful things. If our children and young adults worked with these people or organizations at one point in their life, it may allow them to feel about the north country the way so many of us do that stay.”

He said his father, Michael, gives him the best advice. He said he has heard countless stories about his father.

“Stories of decisions he had to make that impacted others positively even if the impact was negative on himself. My dad always has the best intentions of others at heart and that’s what I learned from my father. I hope one day to be able to live up to the bar that he has set,” Mr. Sligar said.

His best advice came from his father, who told him to do his homework before making a decision.

“Before you make a decision, read about the topic at discussion length. Not just one article or book, but many. Then read about the people who wrote those articles or books and judge their credibility. Once you have multiple, credible perspectives you should make a decision,” Mr. Sligar said his father advised him.

He said his co-workers would be surprised to learn that he is an Eagle Scout, the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.

They also would be surprised to learn that Mr. Sligar would have loved to have traded places with Derek Jeter in his prime — just for a day — to fulfill a childhood dream of playing professional baseball.

Mr. Jeter always presented a positive image; good news followed him. And always looking for the good in others, Mr. Sligar said he would like to see a 24-hour news channel that displays the good in our country and highlights organizations and people who make our world a better place.

— Elaine Avallone

The ROBERT M. SLIGAR File Hometown: Carthage Professional position: Loan officer, Carthage Federal Savings & Loan Association Family: Parents, Michael and Joanne Sligar; brothers, Jonathan, Christopher (deceased), Anthony; sisters, Catherine and Elizabeth Education: Jefferson Community College; Buffalo State. Pursuing a master of business administration, SUNY Oswego Community involvement: Founder, “Bow Tie Tuesday for a Cause” benefiting Carthage Free Library; volunteer, Brookhaven House; volunteer, Village Ecumenical Ministries Food Pantry and Hubbard House; treasurer, Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce; House Committee member and esquire, Carthage Elks Lodge 1762; commissioner, West Carthage Housing Authority; charter member, Northern New York Community Foundation LEAD Council; director, Carthage Free Library board; member, Carthage Augustinian Academy board of education; Carthage Augustinian Academy finance committee; Third Degree member, Knights of Columbus Council 291; member, Lions Club.

Last book read: “The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life” by Alice Schroeder

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Lucas Wachob, 26 & Rebekah Wachob, 24

Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center

L

ucas and Rebekah Wachob are no longer “working for the weekend.”

Since becoming co-directors at Aldersgate Camp and Retreat Center in Brantingham a couple of years ago, the couple has traded in stable careers for a sometimes nonstop, sevenday-a-week schedule, particularly in the summer months.

And they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We go to bed tired for the right reasons,” Rebekah said.

“We’re just so passionate about what we’re doing here, it’s all enjoyable,” Lucas added.

After college, Lucas was working as an engineer with a Rochester contracting firm specializing in energy efficiency, while Rebekah was employed with a large accounting firm and working toward a master’s degree.

“We knew exactly where life was going,” Rebekah said.

Then, while in their early 20s and only a few months into their marriage, they were approached about the director opening at the Brantingham camp, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

After much discussion and prayer, the couple in late 2012 decided to accept the leadership post. That led to “a crazy eight months” during which the pair juggled work, school and camp duties before moving to the north country in May 2013.

The Wachobs each said they enjoyed attending camps as youth, and Rebekah had served as a business intern at Casowasco Camp, a United Methodist camp in the Finger Lakes, during college. However, they each viewed camp leadership as a possibility in their later years, after accomplishing their other career goals, until they got the invitation to run Aldersgate.

“How often do you get to do your dream retirement job in your mid-20s?” Lucas said.

“Your hobby is your job,” Rebekah said.

The Wachobs said that while their ministry has led to a financial and social sacrifice, they have learned that tying success exclusively to finances is one of the business world’s biggest myths.

“You really have to do what you love,” Rebekah said.

The couple said their exodus from entry-level corporate jobs has given them a renewed sense of value, knowing that they

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are able to manage a staff of counselors and other employees and be fully responsible to parents for their children’s safety.

“What we’ve learned is we are more than capable,” Lucas said. “We want to be the best, most fun, safest camp in the area.”

They have also learned to approach their positions with humility, customize their leadership approach to each member of the camp’s staff and give workers a say in how they operate their respective departments.

“You don’t have all the answers all the time,” Lucas said. “The best management is to find others to help.”

The couple also relies heavily on the expertise of Michael Huber, director of camp and retreat ministries in Upper New York, and directors at the several other United Methodist-affiliated camps throughout the state.

“We have a very good working team that’s constantly supporting each other,” Rebekah said.

And the Wachobs lean on the pastor and wife team from their church in Rochester, Jeff and Beth Long, as mentors and occasional volunteer chaplains at the camp. They said the best advice they ever received was from the Rev. Mr. Long, who told them that “you cannot steer a boat from a dock,” so you sometimes need to take a leap of faith and see how things work out.

The Wachobs said that 20-somethings want to do something that will have an impact on the future, not just work at a desk job and wait to have more influence later in their lives.

“Our generation isn’t afraid of change,” Rebekah said.

Although the birth of their first child earlier this year has made finances more challenging, the Wachobs said they continue to enjoy their work. And, with a couple of years under their belts and the recent addition of an assistant director, they anticipate having more time for community outreach and expansion of programming at the camp in the coming year.

— Steve Virkler

The LUCAS & rebekah wachob File Hometown: Brantingham Professional position: Directors and head of operations, Aldersgate Camp and Retreat Center Family: Daughter, Abigail, 5 months Education: Lucas – Bachelor’s in environmental science, concentration in energy efficiency, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Rebekah – Bachelor’s in accounting, SUNY Albany; master’s in business administration, Rochester Institute of Technology Community involvement: Host summer concert series and annual craft sale for the Brantingham Arts Council, as well as the South Lewis Central School prom; provide community scholarships for local youth and do church outreach visits; hosted a Mother’s Day brunch this year; planning to organize a 5K run and community dinners in 2015.

Last book read: Lucas – “The Catalyst Leader” by Brad Lomenick. Rebekah – “37 Summers: My Years as a Camp Director” by Arthur Sharenow and “What to Expect the First Year” by Heidi Murkof and Sharon Mazel December 2014 | NNY Business

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NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

David A. Winters, 36 Watertown Audiology

W

hen you talk to David A. Winters, it only takes a few minutes to discover how important it is to him to be involved. Whether it’s his community, family or his own health, Mr. Winters fully commits to anything and everything he does.

Mr. Winters has been active in the Watertown community for more than 10 years. After working as a news reporter for a Niagara Falls paper, he moved to the area to take a reporting job at the Watertown Daily Times, and now holds the position of director of operations at Watertown Audiology. He is also president of the Downtown Business Association.

“I love helping out whenever I can,” he said, adding that regardless of the season, there’s always something to do in Watertown and the north country, whether it’s snowshoeing in the winter, running in the summer or going to a show any time.

Through his work with the DBA, Mr. Winters gets a chance to showcase what the area has to offer.

The community, the environment and a rural setting where you can look up at night and actually see the stars are among Mr. Winters’ favorite north country offerings. He hikes. He runs marathons. He’d love to eventually complete the Boston Marathon. He’s recently taken up trapshooting. Despite a love of traveling — he’s been to Hawaii twice — he believes in this area. And if Mr. Winters believes in something, he works for it. This is a lesson he’s learned from his mentors — his parents — both high school teachers.

“They’ve instilled in me some great qualities,” he explained. “Be who you want to be; help others out. Try to make the area around you a better place at the end of the day.”

The best advice Mr. Winters ever received came from his father, also an Army reservist, who would often tell him, “If you want it bad enough, you work for it.”

“That’s been something I strive to live by,” Mr. Winters said. “There are no barriers that can hold you back.

If you want it strongly enough, go for it.”

His job with Watertown Audiology has reinforced this lesson. When he began, health care was new to him but practice owner Dr. Sarah Grimshaw-Sugden, Mr. Winters’ mother-in-law, gave him a chance to grow into the job. Since he started, the company has reached more of the community by expanding its patient base and adding another audiologist.

38 | NNY Business | December 2014

“You can always try new opportunities and ventures. My wife’s family has been a great example of that,” he said. “If you’re willing to put the time and research into it, you can do it.”

Leaving journalism was a difficult decision, Mr. Winters admitted, but it let him enter a new career armed with the skills and knowledge to succeed.

“That background has given me a lot of insight to use as a platform to working in a health care field,” he said.

Keeping people informed is an important aspect of journalism that Mr. Winters enjoyed, and he’s happy to be in a field in which he can still make a positive impact on other people.

Mr. Winters listed his wife, Jessica, a special education teacher, as a top motivator through that transition.

“My wife has instilled in me a lot of great virtues and values. I’m forever grateful for meeting her,” he said.

“She’s definitely made me a better person. She does that day after day. She keeps me going.”

When Mr. Winters discovered a passion for running, his wife was his No. 1 supporter, encouraging him to train for and finish his first marathon in Chicago. It was only recently that he found a pastime in running, but the sport has had a profound effect on his life. It gets him through the tough days and makes him a better person, he said.

“Running is just a great reset for everyday life,” he said. “It’s a great outlet to take away from the trials and tribulations of everyday life and clear your head. It gives you a different perspective. Just running out there — whether it’s for 15 minutes or two hours — it’s just you and the road.”

— Lorna Oppedisano

The david a. winters File Hometown: Lewiston Professional position: Director of operations at Watertown Audiology Family: Wife, Jessica; parents, Gary and Shirley Winters; sister, Julie Hockenberry Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism, SUNY Brockport Community involvement: President, Downtown Business Association, Watertown; member, Henderson Fish & Game Club; volunteer, Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce; helps with family restaurant, Cooper’s Landing, Henderson Last book read: “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson

NORTHern new york’s emerging leaders

Jill C. Winters, 35 New York Power Authority

J

ill C. Winters says there’s no place like home.

She loves her hometown of Waddington. She loves her job as the New York Power Authority’s manager of community relations in Massena. And she loves doing what she can to serve her hometown and the north country.

“I’m originally from Waddington. I went to school at SUNY Canton. All of my family is here. My parents still own the bowling alley, JC’s River Run Bar and Grill, which they’ve had for 36 years,” Mrs. Winters said. “I was fortunate enough to meet my husband, Vinnie, here. He has a good job here. It’s a good place to raise a family. Waddington is a great community; it’s a tightknit community. We’re committed to each other. If somebody is down, we lend a helping hand.”

Helping others is part of her upbringing, she said.

“I was very fortunate my parents were both really involved in the community.

My dad always sponsored our Little League teams and our T-Ball teams; my mom was always coaching,” Mrs. Winters said. “My dad was the first to step up [to help with the] Bassmasters Fishing Tournament. They have always been involved in some part of our community.”

She also credits other professionals she works with as being role models who have influenced her.

“With the boards that I serve on, I have had good role models like Karen St. Hilaire at the county chamber and Miriam Catapano at [the Massena] chamber,” she said. “When I started here, Paul Finnegan, my boss from the north country, was a great mentor.”

She serves on several nonprofit boards, including local chambers of commerce and the Seaway Trail. She was a founding member of the Massena Winter Carnival Committee in 2009-10 and maintains an active role on that

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committee. She also served as president of the Massena chamber in 2009 and will begin her second term as president in January.

She was awarded the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Year Award in 2009.

“I think it’s a good chance to [serve] the community. I represent the Power Authority on a lot of external boards, whether it’s the Massena Chamber of Commerce, Seaway Trail, New York State Environmental Education Foundation or the St. Lawrence International Partnership,” Mrs. Winters said.

She said her job at the New York Power Authority gives her an opportunity to promote the region to others who may not have experienced what the north country has to offer.

“We have the ability to have a positive impact on the economics of the region by helping with events and helping get the message out to encourage people to come to the north country. We’re not so much about the Power Authority, we’re an extension” of the tourism initiative, she said.

Mrs. Winters said every day is an opportunity to do something new.

“I enjoy going to work to a job that I love. I’ve been here 12 years, eight years in my current job. We have a beautiful building, the grounds are beautiful. We’ve thrown a lot of great community events. NYPA is a great community partner. They take pride in the community,” she said.

Mrs. Winters would like to see others have the same opportunities she has had in her life, giving them a chance to remain in the region.

“I think jobs, of course, are probably the biggest linchpin of any of it. I think we need to have something to get them here, to let them see how great it is. It’s getting them here and showing them what we have to offer,” she said. “We have to come up with a way to have well-paying jobs, good, stable jobs. We have so many great colleges and it would be nice to retain a lot of those students.”

— Bob Beckstead

The jill C. winters File Hometown: Waddington Professional position: Manager of community relations, New York Power Authority, Massena Family: Husband, Vinnie Education: Madrid-Waddington Central School; associate and bachelor’s degrees, SUNY Canton Community involvement: Board member, St. Lawrence County, Waddington and Greater Massena chambers of commerce; past board president, Massena Chamber of Commerce, 2009; incumbent first vice president – scheduled to serve as board president next year; founding and continuous member, Massena Winter Carnival Committee; board member, Seaway Trail; volunteer, local carp tournaments; past member, Massena Heritage Committee.

Last book read: “The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution” by David O. Stewart and “A Payroll To Meet: A Story of Greed, Corruption, and Football at SMU” by David Whitford December 2014 | NNY Business

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m i le s t o n e s

The right ingredients

Husband-wife sell north side fixture after 29 years

By TED BOOKER

T NNY Business

o say they have chemistry is putting it lightly.

Herbert E. and Margaret R. Gould have worked side by side for 29 years as the owners of Shuler’s Restaurant — the husband running the kitchen while his wife served diners. On Oct. 31, they did that for the final time, as they sold the restaurant at 802 Mill St. to Watertown businessmen Jason A. Tanner and Terry R. Williams, who will took over the business Nov. 1. The 80-seat restaurant has been a fixture on the city’s north side since 1936, when it opened as Baker’s Barbecue. Before that a gas station operated there.

Though the new owners might make minor changes later, the name will stay the same, said Mr. Tanner, who is the branch manager of the KeyBank downtown. Shuler’s will still offer catering, and all 15 employees will keep their jobs, he said. Seafood, prime rib and chicken parmesan will remain staples.

Mr. Tanner, who has owned a Watertown real estate firm with Mr. Williams since 2008, said the business partners decided to buy the restaurant this fall when the Goulds presented the opportunity. “It’s something that both of our families have always talked about and wanted to do,” he said. “Herb and Mar-

JUSTIN SORENSEN | NNY BUSINESS

Herb and Margaret Gould have sold Shuler’s Restaurant on Mill Street. Their last day was Halloween.

garet had built such a great legacy over the last 30 years and reputation, and we kind of hated the thought of it ever closing and wanted to make sure we stepped in and continued their tradition. They’ve built such a great menu, and we plan to continue on with what they have in place. There won’t be any changes right away, but there could be some minor ones later on.”

Mr. Williams, who could not be

“Beauty That’s Naturally You”

reached late Tuesday for comment, will oversee daily operations of the restaurant. In September, Mr. Williams retired from the state Department of Transportation after serving for more than 30 years as a safety officer based in Watertown, Mr. Tanner said.

Employees and diners at the restaurant Monday said they’ll miss the Goulds, whom they described as an energetic couple who led by example by doing

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m i le s t o n e s much of the labor themselves. Joseph W. Simmons, assistant manager at Shuler’s, said he worked alongside Mr. Gould cooking seafood since 1999. He said Mr. Gould took pride in making sure every dish was cooked to perfection - whether it was lobster, scallops, shrimp or haddock.

“He taught me how to cook, and he had a lot of pride in his work,” Mr. Simmons said. “We broil our seafood in lemon wine and use three seasonings.”

The Goulds are natives of the town of Rutland who knew each other as youngsters attending Copenhagen schools.

Mr. Gould, 66, said his passion for the restaurant industry began as a high school graduate with his first job as a waiter at the Partridge Berry Inn in Watertown.

After serving in the Army from 1968 to 1970 during the Vietnam War, Mr. Gould returned to the north country and married Mrs. Gould in 1972. He worked as the manager of a Ponderosa restaurant in Syracuse until 1977, when the couple bought Land & Sea Restaurant in Black River and operated the upscale seafood establishment for six years.

When the couple bought Shuler’s in 1985 from Charles F. Williamson, they introduced a wide range of seafood to the menu, Mr. Gould said. “We’re different from the chain restaurants because we bread our own seafood,” he said. “Most chains get their seafood pre-breaded, and it’s going to be only 50 percent fish and the rest bread. Ours is 90 percent fish and only 10 percent bread.”

Mrs. Gould, 63, said loyal customers have enabled the north side restaurant to survive in the city, where national franchises have popped up year after year.

She said three couples have eaten at the restaurant every Friday for the past 25 years: John P. and Pamela Astafan, William and Judy Curtis, and Ernie Waite and Gina Marie Astafan.

“I know about three-quarters of the customers who come in here every day,” she said. “And if they’re new, I always try to meet them and see if they come back.”

Dining at Shuler’s on Monday night were Brian F. and Andrea L. Hurteau of Theresa and their 10-month-old son, Brody A. The couple said they heard the Goulds were selling the restaurant and decided to visit before it changed hands.

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| 41

S T. L AW R E N C E C OUN T Y

A rising enterprise

Madrid woman returns home to pursue passion for food, community

Anastasia Hull slices bread at her newly opened bakery in a remodeled building at 3740 County Route 14 in Madrid.

ALAN RIZZO

T NNY Business

o Anastasia Hull, baking, family and community are inevitabilities. And in her new bakery, which had its grand opening last week, she intends to tie all that and more together.

Anastasia’s Bakery opened last week alongside the Martin Country Store, in a recently redone building at 3740 County Route 14. Owner and pastry chef Ms. Hull, a resident and native of Madrid, de-

MELANIE KIMBLER-LAGO | NNY BUSINESS

cided to open the bakery to be near family, explore a passion for baking and draw people to her hometown.At her business, Ms. Hull makes a collection of confections

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including cakes, cookies, doughnuts and other sweets, receiving rave reviews from customers. She said opening a bakery in her hometown has been a dream of hers.

“This place means so much to me. It’s got so much potential and history,” Ms. Hull said of her hometown.

She said she moved back last fall because she didn’t want to be away from home. Now she walks to work every day from her house across the road, and regularly spends 16 hours a day there.

The building her business inhabits is owned by her father, who made it over for the bakery and Martin’s Country Store, owned by Justus P. Martin, which occupies the same space. The country store offers a

Please see Rising, page 44

CONGRATULATIONS to the recipients of the

2014 20 UNDER 40 AWARD 42 | NNY Business | December 2014

m i le s t o n e s shuler’s, from page 41 The couple said they like the low-key atmosphere.

“I’ve been coming here since I was 12 years old,” Mrs. Hurteau said. “It’s more of a family atmosphere as opposed to a Texas Roadhouse.”

Her husband agreed: “I like that it’s not over by I-81 where the hustle and bustle is,” he said, adding that he enjoys the haddock and prime rib.

Jennifer L. Clark, a waitress, was hired by the Goulds three months ago but has dined here since her youth. “I’ve been eating here my whole live, and my family loves the chicken parmesan here,” the Watertown resident said. “I’ve always tried to get a job here, but it was hard because none of the employees ever left.”

The loyalty of employees and family members of the Goulds was demonstrated in November 2009, when Mr. Gould was hospitalized for about a month after suffering a heart attack while hunting. He was in a coma for 12 days, Mrs. Gould said, becoming teary-eyed as she recalled how people volunteered to work at the restaurant.

“Former employees and family members came in to work,” she said. “I didn’t even have to ask — they just showed up.”

The restaurant was known as Howard’s until it was bought by David L. and Glenna R. Shuler, who operated it from 1968 to 1976. The Shulers sold it to Peter L. Clough and Richard N. DeGon, who operated it until filing for bankruptcy in 1984 and selling it at a foreclosure auction. Mr. Williamson bought the restaurant in January 1985, owning it less than a year before selling it to the Goulds.

The Goulds, both seafood aficionados, plan to dine at Shuler’s often during their retirement. They also plan to visit their grandchildren in California, Florida and Washington.

Although they have decided it’s time to slow down, they said they’ll miss working together at the Mill Street hub.

“We’ve been working six days a week our whole lives, 70 hours a week,” Mr. Gould said. “When you work that long together, you have to have chemistry.” n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at 661-2371 or tbboker@ wdt.net.

December 2014 | NNY Business

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The two business owners are partners, and with their array of wares they hope to draw in customers from all over.

“We kind of wanted people to crowd into Madrid; kind of see the importance of the small town,” Ms. Hull said.

That is likely to happen with the general store’s Waddington customers, who recently were traveling about an hour to get to the Moira location of the business, Ms. Hull said.

She and Mr. Martin also focus on offering local products, such as locally roasted Park Bros. Coffee from The Bagelry, Potsdam, bread and other baked goods from Mr. Rick’s Bakery, Watertown, and of course locally baked confections from Anastasia’s.

Along with her standards, Ms. Hull said, she wants to provide customers and friends with things they can’t find on her menu.

She said she is open to trying out customer suggestions for new products, in order to get a feel for what people need and want in a bakery, which includes scratch-made gluten-free options.

“I have a lot of friends that are gluten intolerant, and it’s so hard for them to find good food,” Ms. Hull said.

She said one of the things she loves about baking is the reliability of a recipe, which can be trusted to deliver if followed faithfully.

“No matter how you’re doing that day, if you do it the right way, if you put in the right amount of things, it comes out perfectly,” she said. At the same time, Ms. Hull said, she likes the experimental side of the baking craft.

“God put a passion in me for it, and I really don’t have much choice. I just love it; I can’t help it,” she said.

Ms. Hull runs her business with one employee. In the next year, she said, she hopes to expand to include a baking lab so customers can see her in action, and incorporate baking classes to teach children breadmaking.

More information can be found at the bakery’s website at http://anastasiasbakery.squarespace.com, or on facebook at www.facebook.com/anastasiasbakeryny. n ALAN RIZZO is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at 661-2517 or arizzo@wdt.net.

44 | NNY Business | December 2014

BUSINESS BRIEFCASE

SBA seeks nominations for achievement award

The Syracuse district office of the U.S. Small Business Administration requests nominations for the Veteran-Owned Achievement Award to recognize the entrepreneurial success of a local business owner who has served our country.

The nominee must be a 51 percent small business owner with military service, in business for at least two years, a resident of the United States, and meet one or more of the following criteria: staying power; growth in employees or sales; current and past financial performance; innovativeness of service or product; response to adversity; and contributions to community-oriented projects.

The winner will be presented with the award at the 2015 Operation: Start Up & Grow veterans’ business conference at Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, on Thursday, March 19.

Nomination packages must be postmarked by Jan. 31 and sent to Dan Rickman, U.S. Small Business Administration, 224 Harrison Street, 5th Floor, Syracuse, NY, 13202. Please contact Mr. Rickman for nomination forms at 471-9393 ext. 250 or daniel.rickman@sba.gov.

Transportation center receives gift

The Volunteer Transportation Center, Watertown, recently received a $500 gift from the Northern New York Corvette Club.

The club is supported each year by major sponsor Davidson Auto Group. At the conclusion of the club year, additional money raised is given to local organizations.

“The VTC is proud to be recognized by the NNY Corvette Club as a vital community organization,” said Sam Purington, executive director.

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R E A L E S TAT E R OUN D U P

Dozens earn annual honors, awards

T

he National Association of Realtors held its annual Realtors Conference and Trade Expo in New Orleans from Nov. 4 to 10.

Sue Brashaw, Linda Fields, Janet Handschuh, Lisa L’Huillier, Karen Peebles, Jennifer Stevenson, and I joined about 17,000 Realtors and association staff, including 1,200 visitors from 64 other countries, in attending events such as a Habitat House Build, NAR Committee meetings, Women’s Council of Realtors meetings, educational events, and a trade show. n n n

In October, Jennifer Stevenson, Blue Heron Realty, joined 23 other New York Realtors who participated in a study mission to Italy.

Meetings were held with real estate agents on the Amalfi Coast, Rome, and Florence. The mission was conducted as part of the New York State Association of Realtors’ partnership through NAR with the Italian Federation of Real Estate Professionals. n n n The Tri-County (NY) Women’s Council of Realtors Chapter held its 5th Annual Top Producer event on Oct. 23. This honored 69 Realtors who were in the top 20 percent in terms of units sold and rented between Oct. 1, 2013, and Sept. 30, 2014. The event was sponsored

by Carthage Federal Savings, Community Bank, First Niagara Bank, Gouverneur Savings and Loan, Homestead Funding, the JeffersonLewis Board of Realtors, Northern Credit Union, and Watertown Savings Bank.

The WCR honored Amanda Miller, Lake Ontario Real Estate, as the top seller and Sandra Rowland, Clear Choice Homes, as the top rental agent.

The rest of the sales honorees are: Britton Abbey, Roger Abbey, Mary Adair, Lois Aubin, Larry Boliver, Vicki Bulger, Patricia Calhoun,



Walter Christensen, Libby Churchill, Elizabeth Clair, James Conlin, Sonia Conlin, Michael Corbine, Katherine Couch, Melanie Curley, Carole Dunbar, William Elliott, Kenneth Erb, Cathy Garlock, Matthew Garlock, Lance Evans Stacey Garrett, Anne George, Joan Gerni-LaLone, Lori Gervera, Marsha Gibbons, Michael Hall, Janet Handschuh, Les Henry, Duane Hoffman, Beth Hopkins, Barry Kukowski, Jacqueline Ladue, Donna Loucks, Lisa Lowe, Julie Lyndaker, Brenda Malone, Tara Marzano, Erin Meyer, Elizabeth Miller, Gail Miller, Gwyn Monnat, Cynthia Moyer, Rob Moyer, Lori Nettles, Anthony Netto, Doris Olin, Karen Peebles, Penny Price, Tammy Queior, Maxine Quigg, Gail Richardson, Gayla Roggie, Nancy Rome, Jill Rosette, Sandra Rowland, Jason Smith, Vickie Staie, Tania Sterling, John Stevens, Barry Stewart, Nancy Storino-Farney, Bernard Sturr, Jennifer Waite, Lisa Watson, and Nancy Williams.

In addition to Ms. Rowland, the top rental honorees were: James Conlin, Sonia Conlin, Joan Gerni LaLone, Richard Hardy, and Nicole Lajoie. n n n During the Top Producer Event, the 2015 Governing Board for the Tri-County Chapter of the WCR was installed. The board will consist of president Janet Handschuh, Heart Homes Real Estate, president-elect Debbie Staie, Staie on the Seaway, secretary David Barron, Husky Property Management, vice president of membership Carolyn Gaebel,

Exit More Real Estate, immediate past president Charles Ruggiero, Hefferon Real Estate, finance and budget chairman Lance Evans, Board of Realtors, and sponsor chairwoman Cheryl Schroy, First Niagara Bank. n n n Early December saw the installation of officers and directors for the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors as part of annual holiday celebrations.

The Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors will be led by president Elizabeth Miller, Century 21 Gentry Realty, president elect Randy Raso, Raso Real Estate, vice president Vickie Staie, Staie on the Seaway, treasurer Mary Adair, Exit More Real Estate, recording secretary Nancy Rome, Rome RSA Realty, corresponding secretary Al Netto, Thousand Islands Realty, and as directors Vicki Bulger, RealtyUSA, Jennifer Dindl-Neff, Humes Realty and Appraisal Service, Gwyn Monnat, RealtyUSA, Katharine Dickson, Front Porch Realty, and Nancy D. Storino-Farney, Nancy D. Storino Real Estate.

Leading the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors will be president Korleen Spilman, Century 21 Millennium Realty, vice president Debbie Gilson, County Seat Realty, treasurer Gail Abplanalp, Pat Collins Real Estate, Douglas Hawkins, Sandstone Realty, Immediate Past President Michael Kassian, Kassian Real Estate, and directors Linda Fields, Linda Fields Broker, Richard J. Wood, RJ Wood Real Estate, Cheryl Yelle, Yelle Realty, and a state director to be appointed. n LANCE M. EVANS is the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the St. Lawrence County Board of Realtors.

He has lived in the north country since 1985.

Contact him at levans@nnymls.com. His column appears monthly.

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R E A L E S TAT E

Q3 home prices dip, sales mixed

By TED BOOKER

T NNY Business

hird-quarter median home price in Jefferson County is down by 12 percent from the same period last year, a trend largely due to more new housing options available, according to the executive officer of the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors.

Lance M. Evans, board executive director, said the median price, which fell by $19,500, from $159,500 to $140,000, is a symptom of real estate brokers selling houses at lower prices in response to the greater availability of new rental housing countywide. Large rental housing projects in Watertown with units that began to open last summer include the 296-unit Beaver Meadows complex on Towne Center Drive and the 394-unit Preserve at Autumn Ridge on County Route 202.

The two projects are slated to be completed by next summer.

“People are buying lower-priced

homes, and the days they are on the market seems to be increasing,” Mr. Evans said. “And there’s a little less push for some of the high-end homes.”

The median home price in Lewis County, by contrast, jumped by 5 percent, or $6,000, from $112,500 to $118,500. The price in St. Lawrence County decreased by 2 percent, or $2,000, from $85,000 to $87,000.

Mr. Evans said real estate brokers in Jefferson County drop home prices, in some cases, when they sit for long periods without any buyers, which has been a trend this year.

“Sellers can’t say, ‘I’m definitely going to sell it at this price.’ Depending on how much time they have to sell and certain pressures they have, they may want to adjust the price and sell it for less,” he said.

Home sales climbed during the third quarter in Jefferson County by 7 percent, or 19 units, from 258 to 277; they dropped in Lewis County by 20 percent, or 12 units, from 60 to 48, and in St. Lawrence

County by 4 percent, or seven units, from 179 to 172.

Overall, though, sales are still recovering in the three counties after an unusually poor performing first quarter that was mainly a result of the prolonged winter, Mr. Evans said.

Through Sept. 30, total sales were down in Jefferson County by 4 percent, or 26 units, from 629 to 603; in Lewis County by 7 percent, or nine units, from 125 to 116, and in St. Lawrence County by 9 percent, or 35 units, from 409 to 374.

Among the military population, uncertainty about potential troop cuts at Fort Drum made by the Army could make rental housing more attractive for some, Mr. Evans said.

“Some military people are still wary about whether to buy or rent. If they think they might have to leave right away or be moved to another base, they’re going to rent,” he said. n TED BOOKER is a Johnson Newspapers staff writer. Contact him at 661-2371 or tbboker@ wdt.net.

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R E A L E S TAT E / T O P T R A NS A C T IONS Top 10 property sales by price recorded in the Jefferson County Clerk’s Office in October 2014: $6,514,507: Oct. 3, Town of Watertown: County Route 200, Suncap Watertown LLC, Charlotte, N.C., sold to ARC FEWTRNYOO1 LLC, Jenkintown, Pa. $1,300,449: Oct. 3, Village of Carthage: 4.3 acres, Tannery Island, Tannery Island Power Corp., Lowville, sold to Ampersand Tannery Island Hydro LLC, Boston, Mass. $950,000: Oct. 17, Town of Alexandria: 3 parcels, 1) Gypsy Island, 1.5 acres; 2) two small islands in Houghton Bay near Gypsy Island, and 3) two small islands, southwest of and quite near to Gypsy Island, John F. Freeborn, as trustee to the Jane A. McAllaster Revocable Living Trust, sold to Gypsy Island LLC, Syracuse. $640,000: Oct. 22, Town of Clayton, Round Island: Lots, 321, 322, 323, 324, 325, 329, 330, 331, 332, 333 and 341, Craig L. Hart, Smethport, Pa., as trustee for Susan Lee Oakes Trust, sold to Robin McAnallen, Oshawa, Ont. $500,000: Oct. 16, Town of Alexandria: 110 acres more or less, Louis Perry and Marsha Perry, LaFargeville, sold to John W. Weaver and Amanda Weaver, Homenville, Ohio. $345,000: Oct. 22, Town of Pamelia: Two parcels, 60 acres more or less, state highway 565 (Watertown to Theresa road), Terrance D. Stalder, Homer, sold to Dennis L. Esch, Omaha, Neb. $345,000: Oct. 20, Town of LeRay: 5.74 acres, 23795 Woodland Drive, Sandra J. Roderick Levesque, Watertown, sold to John W. Eisenhauer and Kathleen

A.M. Eisenhauer, Chattaroy, Wash. $310,000: Oct. 17, Town of Alexandria: Lot 33, Tennis Island, Michael D. Fenton and Catherine A. Fenton, Baldwinsville, sold to Mark Donald Syracusa and Deborah Ann Kritz, Fairport. $306,816: Oct. 28, Town of Hounsfield: Lot 13 of Proposed Subdivision Mill Creek Ridge, Corey J. Lawler and Rebecca R. Lawler, Sackets Harbor, sold to Irvin R. Sanchez and Ashley L. Sanchez, Watertown.

Ronald and Cheryl L. Jackob, Brick, N.J., sold to SFLH, LLC., Nicholville. $400,000: Oct. 22, Village of Massena: 4.07 acres more or less, bounded by Massena Industrial Park, MPG Development LLC, Massena, sold to Seaway Timber Harvesting Inc., Massena. $387,215: Oct. 30,Town of Canton: Unknown Parcels, unknown acres, bounded by Judson Street Road, Kevin P. and Debra J. McCollum, Canton, sold to St. Lawrence Health Systems, Potsdam.

$301,000: Oct. 22, Town of Hounsfield: Lot No. 27 Campbell’s Point, Richard F. Cimildoro and Barbara Sloat Cimildoro, Camillus, and Carrie Cimildoro-Beem, South Bend, Ind., as trustees for Cimildoro Irrevocable Trust, sold to Lawrence F. Gilbert and Tammy L. Gilbert, Syracuse, and Christopher W. Channels and Trista Channels, Arlington, Va.

$360,759: Oct. 30, Town of Canton: Unknown parcels, unknown acres, bounded by Judson Street Road, Estate of Thelma E. McCollum, Debra J. McCollum (executors), and Last Will and Testament of Thelma E. McCollum, Canton, sold to St. Lawrence Health Systems, Potsdam.

Top 10 property sales by price recorded in the St. Lawrence County Clerk’s Office in October 2014:

$254,900: Oct. 15, Town of Hammond: 1.1 acres more or less, bounded by Fitton Road and Route 12, David Crosby, Naples, Fla., sold to Sandra A. Roush, Hamburg.

$1,500,000: Oct. 17, Village of Gouverneur: 5.78 acres more or less, bounded by Hailesboro Street, YNGH Inc., Gouverneur, sold to TRS Properties LLC, West Monroe. $1,300,000: Oct. 6, Town of Hopkinton: 79.63 acres more or less, in Township 15, bounded by Mosher Road and Route 11B, October Corporation, Portland, Maine, sold to Pineland Farms Natural Meats Inc., New Gloucester, Maine. $425,000: Oct. 8, Town of Louisville: Parcel 1) 1/3 of an acre more or less, Parcel 2) 50 acres more or less, Parcel 3) 214.04 acres more or less, Parcel 4) 1/3 of an acre more or less, Parcel 5) 25 86/100 acres more or less, Parcel 6) Unknown acres, Parcel 7) 15 47/100 acres more or less, Parcel 8) 20 acres more or less, bounded by Peru Street and Dodge Road,

$220,000: Oct. 1, Town of Pierrepont: 4 parcels, 1) 21 25/100 acres more or less, 2) 51 9/100 acres more or less, 3) 59 acres more or less, and 4) 1 60/100 acres more or less, bounded by Ridge Road, R. Ridge Properties LLC, Potsdam, sold to Brian P. Murdock, Somerville, Mass. $214,000: Oct. 17, Town of Norfolk: Parcel 1) 7 acres more or less, Parcel 2) 8.2 acres more or less, Parcel 3) 22 acres more or less, in Lot 23 of Mile Square 86, bounded by Sober Road, John H. Wolfe III, Norfolk, sold to Richard A. Medve, Norfolk. $197,025: Oct. 30,Town of Canton: Unknown parcels, unknown acres, bounded by Judson Street Road, Debra J. McCollum, Canton, sold to St. Lawrence Health Systems, Potsdam.

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December 2014 | NNY Business

| 51

G U E S T E SS AY

Work together to post greater gains

B

rian Leonard of Gouveneur has been playing in the National Football League for eight years. And he’s also a financial supporter of the United Way of Northern New York. https://vimeo.com/104544135 That shouldn’t be surprising. For 41 years the NFL and the United Way have been partners in addressing issues ranging from making healthy living choices to homelessness and food insecurity.

The partnership makes perfect sense, even from a football perspective.

The best-known player on a football team is the quarterback, but the quarterback wants to know who will be covering his blind side. No quarterback wants his body snapped in two by an unseen defensive lineman. To a quarterback’s way of thinking, you can’t pay a talented left tackle too much money.

The all-pro running back wants to know who his blocking back is going to be. The celebrated blitzing linebacker wants to know if his free safety has the closing speed necessary to cover the area of the field the linebacker just vacated.

And the punter wants to know if the long snappercan — with the accuracy of a quarterback, no less — fire a football between his legs and into thepunter’s hands 15 yards away. There is an important difference here: A bad forward

pass generally ends the play;a bad snap on a punt generally unleashes chaos.

The United Way raises money and advocates for 40 Northern New York nonprofits Bob Gorman to make sure we have quality players at every position.

ize in mental health, behavioral health, substance abuse and domestic violence.

Some of our nonprofits are easy to market because their programs generate easy-to-photograph happy participants.

But others that provide crucial services, such as CASA and the Family Counseling Service, don’t have that luxury. No one is going on Facebook to post pictures of battered local women and kids crying in family court.

Like professional athletes with endorsement deals, many or our large nonprofits can secure government grants for their services. But other nonprofits, such as Meals on Wheels, are almost entirely dependent on the United Way of NNY for their existence.

The work our nonprofits perform is more important than the results of any football game. But for our community to be successful in helping individuals through crisis and into self-sufficiency, we should take a page out of the book of any successful football team: If we work together through the United Way, the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.

Some nonprofits are easy to market because their programs generate easy-to-photograph happy participants. But others that provide crucial services, such as CASA and the Family Counseling Service, don’t have that luxury. No one is going on Facebook to post pictures of battered women and kids crying.

52 | NNY Business | December 2014

It’s easy to name our best-known nonprofits, such as the Ogdensburg Boys and Girls Club, Family Y, Salvation Army and Red Cross, which all have national ties. Many of our home-grown nonprofits are just as well known: Watertown Urban Mission, Hand in Hand Day Care and Renewal House.

But just like a football team, our wellknown nonprofits are dependent on the lesser-known nonprofits to ensure everyone’s success. Over the course of the year our critical needs nonprofits are referring clients to nonprofits that special-

n ROBERT D. GORMAN is former managing editor of the Watertown Daily Times and president and CEO of United Way of Northern New York. Contact him at bgorman@nnyonline. net or 788-5631.

E C ONO M I C A L LY S P E A K IN G

A regional approach to health care

H

ealth care is changing. No surprise there. Change is difficult and challenging; again, no surprise there. What is sometimes surprising to those of us who live and breathe the business of health, is how little the average person knows or cares about health care until it is needed.

Why change? As noted by Dr. John Haughom in “Health care: A Better Way,” there is “an unprecedented level of complexity overwhelming our systems and the people trying to practice in them. Far too many outcomes are inadequate. Costs are out of control and waste is widespread. Far too many people lack access to basic health services.”

And the list goes on.

Sound familiar?

It should, because it is as recognizable here as anywhere, but what is different and remarkable in Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties is that there is a groundswell of physician, hospital and community leadership coming together to lead and drive change, to provide a vision, and chart a new course for health. As the Army Surgeon General so aptly puts it, “we must move from a health care system to a system for health.”

This leadership is seen in the members of the North Country Initiative who have joined forces, recognizing that no single county or single provider can be an island. From a community health perspective, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties have worked

together for many years.

Our public health departments, prevention agencies, and supportive service providers have long recognized that when times are tough you come Denise Young together and work together for the common good.

Under the umbrella of the North Country Initiative, physician leaders like

ter, Massena Memorial Hospital, River Hospital, Carthage Area Hospital and Samaritan Medical Center. And joining them are two federally qualified health centers, six behavioral health provider organizations, six long-term care facilities, three prevention providers, two rural health networks, two ARC providers, three public health departments, three health care employee unions, three patient advocacy groups and the regional prenatal-perinatal council.

Wow, do you feel the hope? Do you feel the energy? This group of caring physicians and organizations know that health care is about people not systems, that people need to be treated as the sum of their parts, not in parts; that our mental health is as important as our physical health, that the quality of the care should not depend on the source of the payment; that when you leave the physician’s office you should feel comforted not confused.

Yes, health care is changing. Yes, there is much work to do. Yes, it is scary, but it is also exciting and empowering, and most importantly, better for patients and communities.

It is our privilege and our responsibility, to work together to make this change the very best it can be for the north country we call home and the neighbors we call family.

Our public health departments, prevention agencies and service providers have long recognized that when times are tough you come together and work together for the common good.

Dr. Collins Kellogg, Dr. Steven Lyndaker, Dr. Howard Meny, Dr. David Rechlin, Dr. Jason White, Dr. Lauren Roman, Dr. Mark Parshall, Dr. Michael Wainberg, Dr. Mario Victoria,Dr. Michael Woznicki, Dr. Jack Rush, Dr. Gary Hart, Dr. Michael Seidman and many, many more are leading the charge, giving their time, energy and evenings to a noble cause. They are privileged to make it better, to heal — not a single patient, but to heal how we deliver health to our people.

Six of the nine hospitals in this rural three-county region are joining them in this noble endeavor: Clifton Fine Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Cen-

n DENISE K. YOUNG is the executive director of the Watertown-based Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization. Contact her at dyoung@fdrhpo.org or 755-2020.

December 2014 | NNY Business

| 53

BUSIN E SS L AW

What the Hobby Lobby case means

T

his summer the Supreme Court rendered a decision that could have an effect on many small corporations in the north country.

The case involved a decision by owners of two family-owned and operated businesses who challenged regulations of the Department of Health and Human Services, which required that their health insurance plans cover certain types of contraceptives.

The owners challenged the regulations since it violated their sincerely held religious beliefs.

The Supreme Court consolidated the cases since the challenge to the HHS regulations were similar. The plaintiffs were Conestoga Wood Specialties and Hobby Lobby Stores.

Norman and Elizabeth Hahn and their three sons are members of the Mennonite Church, and they own and operate the business that Mr. Hahn started 50 years ago.

Conestoga Wood Specialties is incorporated under the laws of Pennsylvania, has 950 employees and is a for-profit business. Their company’s mission is to operate under the “highest ethical, moral and Christian principles.” David and Barbara Green and their three children owned Hobby Lobby Stores.

It started as an arts-and-craft store 45 years ago and has grown to more than 500 stores.

Hobby Lobby Store is incorporated under the laws of Oklahoma and is a for-profit company. Each family has signed a pledge to run the business under Christian principles.

Essentially, the Hahns and Greens believe that life begins at conception and any type of contraceptive that terminates life is a violation of their Christian beliefs. Furthermore, the HHS regulation that requires their companies provide this type of health insurance benefit is a violation of their Christian beliefs. There are four types of Food and Drug Administration-approved contraceptives that fall in this category. There are two types of “morningafter” pills and two types of intrauterine

devices.

Regulations that are being challenged were promulgated pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. TheACA essentially requires that employers with Larry Covell 50 or more fulltime employees offer a group health plan or group health insurance coverage that meets minimum essential coverage as required by law. Unless there is an exception, the ACA requires that coverage includes “preventive care and screenings” for women without any cost sharing requirements. Congress, when drafting the act, did not define “preventive care and screening” but the obligation of drafting the regulations was left up to the HHS. The final regulations, among other things, required coverage to include all forms of FDA-approved contraceptives. The four methods that prevent the fertilized eggs from attaching to the uterus are being challenged in this case.

The HHS authorized an exemption from the contraceptive mandate for religious employers and other eligible organizations.

An eligible organization means a nonprofit organization that holds itself out as a religious organization and opposes contraceptive services because of religious objections.

The plaintiffs applied for the exemption but were denied by the HHS since they are both for-profit organizations.

The Supreme Court held that the HHS regulations violated the owners’ sincerely held religious beliefs. The court did not use the First Amendment’s Freedom of Religion clause

as a basis of its decision; rather, they used an equivalent federal statute. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person’s exercise of religious beliefs by excessive regulations unless it does so by the least restrictive means of serving a compelling governmental interest. The court found the HHS regulations required the plaintiffs to choose between violating their religious beliefs or endure economic consequences of about $475 million per year for Hobby Lobby Stores and about $33 million per year for Conestaga if they provided health insurance but not the contraceptive coverage as the law mandates.

Alternatively, if the plaintiffs dropped coverage altogether, Hobby Lobby Stores could be fined around $26 million and Conestoga about $1.8 million. Under either alternative, they face a substantial burden.

The ramifications of this case are not clear.

What has been done under the RFRA is to permit small family-owned corporations the opportunity to opt out of certain governmental regulations if it substantially burdens their religious values. The only regulation for sure is the contraceptive requirement under the ACA. This case is the starting point for sincerely held religious beliefs.

Would a court be willing to accept a small family-owned corporation’s decision to not provide services or sell goods to a same-sex couple if it was a violation of the owners’ religious beliefs?

The law on this point is in its infancy. If you are a small business, do not unilaterally decide to disregard or reject any regulation based on your religious beliefs until after you’ve had a discussion with your attorney. n LARRY COVELL is a professor of business at Jefferson Community College and an attorney.

Contact him at lcovell@sunyjefferson.edu. His column appears every other month in NNY Business.

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C o mmerce c o r n er

Snowtown USA: Love it or leave it

L

ast December, Snowtown USA returned to Watertown after a years-long hiatus and uncooperative winter weather. To think that snow has covered our area already with more than a dusting, we can only hope the weather will continue for the two months of festivities. Most successful for Snowtown USA is the group of leaders from the community who joined to make this sustainable in any type of weather. If you live or have lived in the north country, weather does not always cooperate with what we want.

How was its return successful?

With help from the Watertown Local Development Corp., the Heather A. Freeman Foundation, Knowlton Technologies, Planned Parenthood of the North Country and many individual supporters who truly believed the event was just what the city ordered, we resurrected Snowtown USA, a once-successful event that was well received by the community. It attracted visitors from outside our community to see what was so exciting and, with right amount of snow, they became overnight guests.

Family-fun events The return of Snowtown USA was very successful. The New Year was welcomed with opening ceremonies on Dec. 31, 2013, that included a Snowtown New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Italian American Club with entertainment

by TNT that was hosted by A.J. Misert.

Family-focused activities that included a fireworks display by Majestic Fireworks, face-painting, and a Fire Magick LED show at a family-friendly venue were a

few key ingredients.

Snowtown USA continued through Jan. 5 with closing ceremonies at Dry Hill Ski Area that included fireworks and a torch run. The torch run had a Lynn Pietroski long-standing run with Snowtown USA and the committee was excited to offer it. The week-long event was celebrated with several free activities like admission to ice arena, skating with the city’s hockey team, a snow-themed day in Thompson Park, snowshoeing, horse-drawn carriage rides, craft fair, a character breakfast, and various snowfilled activities.

The history of Snowtown has been told that following the blizzard of 1977, Walter Cronkite actually coined the phrase “Snowtown USA,” when reporting how the blizzard dumped some 220 inches of snow on Watertown. If we have to live in area where that much snow falls, why not take advantage of it? A few years later, event organizers used it new festival name. Snowtown USA began in the early 1980s but ended in 1997 due to unfavorable weather conditions.

The north country boasts amazing natural picturesque scene. The cover of snow only enhances our local beauty. When snow cripples other parts of the country, the north country embraces it and uses it to attract visitors to our diverse offerings.

Snow sculptures lined the streets of his-

toric downtown and sculptors were hard at work designing art that would turn some off due to blistering cold weather or quick accumulations of fresh snow.

With the new success of the Watertown Wolves, Snowtown USA will be visible at home games In January and February. In August, it was announced that this year’s festivities would include a film festival, which will feature official film selections, a day of film-related workshops, a film competition and an awards ceremony set for Jan. 30 and 31 at a number downtown sites. As the idea came to fruition, the festival committee believed that this type of event promotes cultural enrichment and highlights our legendary winters and rich local history. Who knows, you might see some homegrown celebrities.

How to get involved With the help of volunteers, the city’s parks and recreation department, the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, and a collaborative partnership with Northern New York Community Foundation, which established a tax-deductible fund, the committee believes that Snowtown USA is here to stay.

The Snowtown USA committee is well under way planning phases of this year’s festivities. Visit watertownny.com for a complete list of events and activities for you and your family. The group is always open to adding more events and looking for ways to enhance the event and draw an even larger crowd. n Lynn Pietroski is president and CEO of the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce. Contact her at ceo@watertownny. com. Her column appears monthly.

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December 2014 | NNY Business

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A gr i - b u s i n e s s

Cold temps help produce ice wine

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iving in Northern New York brings opportunity and challenges. Our friends in Buffalo experienced heavy lake effect snows dumping anywhere from 3 to 7 feet of powder. In Jefferson County, some areas received up to 3 feet of snow with very cold temperatures. This wonderful weather pattern was challenging to many trying to travel across the snow belts downwind of the Great Lakes.

But the freezing cold temperatures that we are used to are also opportunities to produce a very specialized beverage with a unique taste.

In November, Thousand Islands Winery was one of the first wineries in New York’s northern tier to harvest and press grapes purposely left on the vine to freeze. This is a highly risky initiative as ice wine grapes need to be harvested at a temperature usually between 17 to 19 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wait too long to harvest and the grapes are easily ruined by the freeze. Harvest too early when the grapes haven’t reached the right temperature and you’ve missed the right sugar content in the grapes to produce Ice Wine. But harvest at the exact right time, like Steve Conaway, owner of Thousand Islands Winery did, and you’ll have grapes with a high sugar content of around 36 to 40 brix.

Mr. Conaway reports that Thousand Islands Winery was able to hit it perfect.

“We harvested at 18 degrees Fahrenheit and immediately moved the grapes into a climate controlled room where they were pressed,” Steve said adding, “We were able to harvest 26 gallons of juice.” Ice wine grapes yield less juice than normally

harvested grapes with literally drops of juices coming out of the grapes. Steve expects the 26 gallons of juice will yield approximately 190 bottles of Ice Wine. It is expected that Jay Matteson this small amount of wine will be in high demand and the price per bottle will reflect the demand.

Prices for ice wine per bottle usually run $30 to $100.

Thousand Islands Winery saved cold hardy grape favorites Brianna and Frontenac Gris for their ice wine harvest. The blend of these varietals should produce a very delicate taste from the high sugar and alcohol content of the frozen grapes.

These cold hardy species do very well in our northern climate and the winery is pleased with the result. New trellising has already been built to receive planting of new Brianna vines in the spring of 2015. The winery also plans to plant Vidal Blanc. Vidal Blanc is the standard ice wine grape of choice. Mr. Conaway indicated that he is not sure how well Vidal Blanc will do this far north but is willing to take the risk of planting the varietal. Steve indicated that even if the heavy yielding vine doesn’t reach its usual production, half the amount of juice will still work for him.

Conaway says that he believes ice wine from northern New York may be the niche product that allows our winer-

ies to excel on the international market.

There is a “taste” for ice wine in China and other locations. Thousand Islands Winery is taking other steps to capitalize on this opportunity and the growth of wineries and vineyards in our region.

The winery recently purchased a Gregiore grape harvester in Canada. The harvester allows grapes to be picked mechanically instead of the labor intensive hand picking method. The Gregoire originates in France and the Canadians have been able to retrofit the harvester to allow for ice grape harvest. Steve said the piece of equipment usually costs around $500,000 but he was able to purchase it for less than half the cost. Steve will provide a custom harvesting service to wineries and vineyards in the region. Steve is also starting another business that will provide custom vineyard set up and construction for those interested in starting their own operations.

By now, you may be asking when the ice wine will be available for purchase.

With only 190 bottles available from the 2014 harvest, you might want to stay in close contact with Thousand Islands Winery in May of 2015. Their website is www.ThousandIslandsWinery.com and you can find them on Facebook at www. facebook.com/pages/Thousand-IslandsWinery. It’s another exciting addition to Jefferson County’s agricultural industry.

How sweet it is.

n Jay M. Matteson is agricultural coordinator for the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency. He is a lifelong Northern New York resident who lives in Lorraine. Contact him at coordinator@comefarmwithus.com.

His column appears monthly.

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BUSIN E SS T E C H B Y T E S

Make holidays easy with tech tools

I

t’s hard to believe the holidays are upon us again. Have you made your list? Are you now in the process of checking it twice? Here are some online tools to help manage the holiday season and leave more time to enjoy friends and family and less time for stress. Santa’s Bag, on the Forbes List of “8 Santa-Approved Apps for Big Savings this Season, Santa’sBag can keep all your shopping lists straight. From your office assistant to your in-laws this iPhone app will help you to not overspend or forget anyone. You can create different lists, check off gifts as you buy them and track how much you are spending. It will also track every gift you give so you won’t have to remember what you got dear Aunt Sara last year.

Are you planning to travel this holiday season? HotelTonight — www.hotelto night.com is now allowing you to book 7 days in advance. You can get incredibly low prices on top rated hotels every day starting at 9 a.m. local time. HotelTonight is mobile only with exclusive rates that can be up to 70 percent off. “These same-day deals are perfect for flexible travelers who are looking for an amazing experience and an amazing price,” says Shannon Hanrahan, a consumer savings expert for PromotionalCodes.com. This could just be the app you need if you claim to be spontaneous, harried at the last minute, or both.

As you are busy spending on gifts and travel, do you often forget how much all that special holiday food and treats will cost. Food costs can easily blow your budget any time of year but even more so around the holidays. The Snap app

by Groupon is one we should all be using year round; not just in the holiday season. Snap offers weekly cash back offers on featured items.

You just need to take a photo of your receipt and Jill Van Hoesen upload it to the Snap app. Once you get to $20 Snap will cut you a check.

You can even earn more money by sharing the Snap app with your friends. Go to snap.groupon.com for more details.

Do you find yourself giving more and more gift cards? Gift Card Granny, giftcardgranny.com, can be a great site if you are looking to give gift cards for those you’re just not sure what to get this year. This app amasses gift cards and e-gift card codes that are available for resale and sells them to you at a discount.

Your discount credits can buy gifts or be given as a gift. After the holidays, you can still use giftcardgranny.com to sell your unwanted gift cards for cash. The CEB Towergroup estimates, “an estimated $1 billion — yes, with a B — in gift card cash goes unredeemed each year.” Don’t let yours go to waste.

What would be the holiday’s without entertaining? Need more place settings after your nephew’s fall wedding or just need replacements for your tired holiday ware. SnapShop can help anyone looking to update their home décor and furnish-

ings for the holidays. SnapShop.com allows you to try before you buy and aids decisions before you purchase by showing you what your home will look like with your chosen items. You choose the product and the app will place the item in the photo of your room. This can save you time, effort and annoyance; how many times have you purchased an item, got it home and realized just how bad it clashes with the rest of your décor?

Where snapshop.com will help with your interior decor gift ideas, another major gift option this shopping season will be electronics, The Shopsavvy app has you covered. “Shopping for electronics can be a tedious process due to the vast prices available across different retailers,” Hanrahan says. With ShopSavvy, you scan the barcode of an item that you’re looking at in a store; Shopsavvy will find the lowest price being offered both online and brick-and-mortar retailers. You can also set price alerts on products, so you’ll never miss the best deals. You’ll get an alert when items within your parameters are set to go on sale. “It’s great because it takes all of the work out of shopping by sending you what you’ll be interested in,” Hanrahan says.

Hope you try these apps this holiday season and then continue all year long.

The possibilities are endless as to how much you can save, and it can add up to big bucks all year long.

Happy Holidays! n Jill Van Hoesen is chief information officer for Johnson Newspapers and a 25-year IT veteran. Contact her at jvanhoesen@wdt.net.

Her column appears monthly.

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December 2014 | NNY Business

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S M A L L BUSIN E SS SU C C E SS

The changing face of social media

B

usiness owners who use Facebook may have noticed during the past year or so that their posts seem to be reaching a smaller and smaller percentage of their followers, people who have liked their Facebook page. Facebook claims that this decrease in organic, nonpaid reach is not created to enhance their revenue by making business owners pay for further reach, but is instead caused by the larger audience and increased number of posts. In a June 5 blog post, Brian Boland, Facebook director of ads product marketing, discussed this topic.

He reports that organic, non-paid reach has been declining due to the increased growth of content on Facebook.

He reports that unless it was filtered by Facebook, people would see on average 1,500 posts each time they log in.

This has led to increased competition for news feed spots.

So how does a business owner make sure that their posts get seen by the public? Facebook will rate posts higher and display them more in user feeds if they see that a post has “high quality content.” According to Boland, Newsfeed (the screen where viewers see what their friends and businesses they like have posted), is designed to show people what is most relevant to them. It ranks content by a number of different factors.

Any post that gets people talking will be spread more widely. Encouraging clients to interact with your posts by commenting on or sharing the post with their friends will help it go farther. Likes don’t seem to count as highly as comments, so

the more comments you can get, the more your content will be shared.

Tagging is also important for Facebook reach. You can tag your own business and also encourage Jennifer McCluskey customers to tag themselves.

To create engaging posts, Facebook recommends using photos and video in your posts. Facebook reports that shorter posts

option that will let you target your posts based on gender, relationship status, educational status, interests, age, and location. This can be useful if you want to reach a certain type of customer. You will also want to use the insights tab of your business page to get an idea of which posts are working well for you so you will know what to repeat in the future.

Remember though, that fans and likes are not an end of themselves. Social media can help keep your business topof-mind, but like any other advertising a customer will have to go further in order to buy from your business. The goal of Facebook, and any social media, is to drive customers to contact you, visit your website, or otherwise increase their interactions with your business until they become paying customers.

Regularly providing links to your website can help build the connection between your social media and your Web presence.

Even with the changes in Facebook organic reach, if used correctly Facebook can still be a helpful tool to help you grow your business.

If you have further questions about building your marketing strategies, contact the Small Business Development Center at either SUNY Canton (315) 3867312 or JCC in Watertown (315) 782-9262 to set up an appointment for free business counseling.

Regularly providing links to your website can help build the connection between your social media and your Web presence.

58 | NNY Business | December 2014

between 150 and 200 characters are more likely to be well-received. Facebook also recommends offering deals, promotions, and other items that encourage people to respond in a timely manner. Your customers will also be more likely engage with posts when they are related to current events or other subjects, like the holidays, that are important to them.

You can help make sure that you don’t miss posting about important business events by creating a calendar for posting.

Planning your posts ahead of time can be very important to make sure that your Facebook page stays active even during your busy seasons when you have less time to post. Finally, Facebook has an

n JENNIFER McCLUSKEY is a certified business advisor with the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY Canton.

Contact her at mccluskeyj@canton.edu. Her column appears bi-monthly in NNY Business.

E X E C U T I V E INSI G H T S

A top five list to wrap up the year

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By REG CARTER and BILL MURRAY n a recent column, we wrote about the importance of understanding value drivers and strategic planning. We believe both these items are important to the future existence and growth of any organization, regardless of size or type.

This month we’re moving from strategic to operational. As we reflected on the businesses we’ve worked with, we attempted to identify those things that seem to be most impactful on day-today business success. On our first attempt, we came up with a fairly long list. We suspect many of you would as well. However, our objective was a short list that we could easily convey and one which business leaders could easily check their performance against. To achieve this objective, we distilled our list down to five items.

The five concepts we believe to be essential to the operation of any business or organization, whether large or small, for-profit or not-for-profit, public or private, are: Customer focus, process focus, employee involvement, data analysis and leadership commitment.

The meaning of customer focus can be simply defined as understanding what your customers want, and meeting that expectation in a way that leaves them feeling completely satisfied regarding the price, quality, and timing of the product or service provided.

Clearly defining and then consistently meeting these expectations is key. If you haven’t done it already, take the time to jot down what you think your customers are looking for. Then test your thoughts with your customers. Ask them what they expect, whether you’re meeting their needs, and how you could possibly improve. Doing this on a regular basis is important.

Customer expectations change for a variety of reasons. Competitive offerings, new technologies, or a shift in your performance are just a few of the reasons why you must continually focus on the customer, but in a way which results in a better understanding of what they want. And don’t just talk with your “friendly” customers; reach out to those customers who you may consider “difficult” and consider their feedback as well. Knowing this

is really the basis for the next item, process focus.

Whether you’re providing a product or a service, it must be done in a way that satisfies your customers’ expectations and allows you to make a reasonable margin or profit. This is the basic value proposition or “give and take” of any business transaction.

How you meet your customers’ expectations is based on the processes you follow to deliver the goods or services that you provide. Successful businesses have processes in place that run well.

Less successful businesses have processes that run “not so good.” Running well means that you’re consistently satisfying your customers’ requirements, and you’re consistently hitting your revenue and profitability targets. “Not so good” means that you’re missing customer expectations or, if you are meeting their expectations, you’re doing so inefficiently and it’s eating into profit margins.

The message is simple. Anytime one of your processes goes astray, you pay the price in customer dissatisfaction, inefficiency, or both. None of these are desirable outcomes. Take the time to make certain you understand your processes in detail and know they are being followed. Your processes should be documented, and you should have Key Process Indicators in place to assure they are in control and running efficiently.

It’s tough to argue convincingly that all employees should not have a good understanding of what your customer’s expect, the importance of following the processes to meet these expectations, and why it’s important to them as employees of your business. However, in many businesses we see, this understanding is not always prevalent.

This lack of understanding can manifest itself in many ways. Examples include customer upset, inefficiency, absenteeism, employee turnover, and quality issues. Establishing understanding with your employees through their involvement is a critical element in sustaining and growing any business.

There’s a story about a man who retired from a company after several years of “faithful service.”

He worked in a factory where he was always on time, always did his job and was never absent. As he was leaving on his last day, he was wished well by the plant manager and asked if he had any parting comments. The man replied that he was very

appreciative of the opportunity he had to work for the company and provide for his family.

He also mentioned he had one regret. The company had relied on, and paid him for, his physical attributes for 40 years. He was sorry they never asked him for his thoughts and ideas because he would have gladly given them for free. Hopefully this story serves as a reminder of the importance and ease of involving employees in understanding our customers’ expectations, and the processes that will effectively and efficiently meet those expectations.

We like the phrase “data speaks.” Whenever you’re looking at business metrics, it’s vitally important to try to understand what the data is saying and whether or not any action is required.

Doing this is the essence of data analysis in any business. What metrics you have in place should relate not only to business financials, but also to knowing your customers’ expectations are being met and your processes are performing effectively and efficiently. If you have the right operational metrics in place for your business, they will typically correlate well with your business financials.

Personally, we never recall running into a business leader that did not feel “committed;” however, we have seen many examples where this commitment was not always constructive.

You can read numerous business and leadership articles that talk about commitment. But it is not always clearly defined. For the purpose of this discussion, we define leadership commitment as the continuous effort to understand and meet customer expectations based on process focus, employee involvement and data analysis.

As you wrap up the year and prepare for the challenges of 2015, we hope you will find this overview useful. We’ll plan on exploring some of these areas in more detail in future columns. n Reg Carter and Bill Murray are executives with CITEC, a local non-profit economic development consulting organization, with more than 60 years of business and management experience between them. In addition, Reg is certified by the Galliard Family Business Planning Institute as a Family Business Planner.

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COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

Alexandria Bay Wednesday, Dec. 31 n New Year’s Eve Gala Celebration, Riveredge Resort, 17 Holland St. Package includes overnight accommodations, four course banquet dinner, open bar, champagne toast at midnight, live entertainment and New Year’s Day brunch.

Cost: rates starting at $200 per person.

Information: 800-365-6987, enjoyus@ riveredge.com or riveredge.com.

Thursday, Jan. 1 n Bonnie Castle’s New Year’s Brunch, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bonnie Castle, 31 Holland St. Menu includes a variety of starters and entrées, as well as carving and omelet stations. Cost: adults, $21.99; seniors, $12.99; ages 4 to 10, $10.99; under age 4, free; active military, 10 percent discount. Menu and information: 482-4511, info@bonniecastle.com or bonniecastle.com.

Canton Thursday, Jan. 8 n Children’s Home of Jefferson County Information Session, 6 p.m., 2nd Floor Conference Room, Human Services Center, 80 State Highway 310. Anyone interested in learning more about foster parenting, adoption and the CHJC Foster Care Program is encouraged to attend. Certification classes begin Thursday, Jan. 15. Information: Kimberly Hierholzer, recruitment and training coordinator, khierholzer@nnychildrenshome.com or 229-3481.

ber@gmail.com or 493-3590.

Chaumont Friday, Jan. 9 n How to Buy and Sell on eBay, 1 to 3 p.m., Lyme Free Library, 12165 NYS Route 12E. Learn eBay basics, including how to set up an account, buy and place bids, judge sellers, and about shipping and payment options. Participants must be experienced with computer and Internet usage and have an active e-mail address. Instructor: Todd Parody. Cost: $25. Information: JCC Continuing Education, 786-2438.

Clayton Thursday, Jan. 1 n CLDC Meeting, 4 to 5 p.m., Clayton Opera House, 405 Riverside Drive.

Clayton Local Development Corporation meeting, open to the public. Information: Larry Aubertine, 686-3512.

Through Tuesday, Dec. 30 n 20th Annual Festival of the Trees, Thousand Islands Museum, 312 James Street, Clayton. Information: museum, 686-5794.

Glenfield Saturday, Jan. 10 n Snowmobile Safety Course, 3G Fire Facility, 6229 Blue St. The class is limited to 40 attendees; registration required.

Lunch provided. Information: lewiscountychamber.org, 376-2213.

Carthage

Massena

Thursday, Jan. 8

Thursday, Jan. 15 to Sunday, Jan. 25

n Chamber Board Meeting, noon to 1 p.m., Community Room, 120 South Mechanic St. Information: carthagenycham-

62 | NNY Business | December 2014

n Winter Carnival, daylong events around town. Planned events includes

frozen fun parade, vendor market and demonstrations, youth hockey tournament, trivia night, public skating, frozen fun kids party, photography contest, frozen fun 5K walk/run, fireworks and more. Submit photos for contest to Massena Chamber of Commerce before Monday, Jan. 5. Information: chamber, 769-3525, chamber@massenachamber. com or massenachamber.com.

Old Forge Friday, Jan. 30 & Saturday, Jan. 31 n 16th Annual Snowmobile Poker Run, business sponsors in Thendara, Old Forge, Stillwater, Beaver River, Eagle Bay, Inlet and Raquette Lake. Event sponsored by Inlet Barnstormers Snowmobile Club. Players may pick up a card up at any sponsor location. Have each sponsor stamp the back of the card and bring your stamped card to Daikers, 161 Daikers Cir, Old Forge from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Saturday. Information: Fred or Carolyn Trimbach, 369-2444.

Syracuse Thursday, Jan. 15 n 2015 Economic Forecast Breakfast, 8 to 9:30 a.m., the OnCenter, 800 S. State St. Join CenterState CEO members, business leaders and executives for the presentation of the 2015 Economic Forecast. Ticket includes a full, hot breakfast.

Cost: member, $35; non-member, $45; member table of 10, $300; non-member table of 10, $400. Information: CenterState CEO, 470-1800, CEO@centerstateceo.com or centerstateceo.com.

Watertown Wednesday, Dec. 31 to Saturday, Feb. 14 n Snowtown USA, daylong events

Wednesday, Dec. 31

learning more about foster parenting, adoption and the CHJC Foster Care Program is encouraged to attend. Certification classes begin Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Information: Ann Larkin, recruitment and training coordinator, alarkin@nnychildrenshome.com or 777-9214.

Thursday, Jan. 8

n New Year’s Eve Celebration, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Paddock Club, 1 Public Square.

Entertainment by Kab Band and Big Daddy DJ. Champagne toast at midnight.

No entrance fee. Information: 786-6633.

n Build Your Own Business, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., ACS Building, Fort Drum.

Course teaches about researching the potential market, licensing and funding opportunities. Information/register: ACS, 772-9611.

Sunday, Jan. 4

Thursdays, Jan. 15 to Feb. 26

n NNY Bridal Showcase, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dulles State Office Building, 317 Washington St. The north county’s largest and longest running bridal show. Free. Register: form.jotform.us/ form/42225848463156. Information: Tunes 92.5, 786-0925.

n Small Business Development Center’s Entrepreneurial Training Course, 6 to 9 p.m., Extended Learning Center, E-130, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Area business professionals offer instruction on business related topics.

Course also offered online. Cost: $195.

Information/register: Continuing Education, 786-2438.

Monday, Jan. 5 & Monday, Feb. 2 n Boots 2 Business, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Clark Hall, Mount Belvedere Blvd, Fort Drum. This is a two day course for soldiers transitioning out of the service and interested in starting a business. Course offers information on business opportunities in the area, including home-based, retail, service industry and online. Participants will learn about researching the potential market and how to find licensing and funding opportunities. Requirement: three day DOL ACAP briefing. Information/register: ACAP, 772-3434 or sbdc@ sunyjefferson.edu.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, Jan. 20 to May 5

Tuesday, Jan. 6

n Economic Outlook Breakfast, 8:30 a.m., Ramada Inn, 21000 state Route 3. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Light pastries and beverages included. Cost: members, $10; non-members, $15; non-

n Children’s Home of Jefferson County Information Session, 6 p.m., Children’s Home of Jefferson County Dining Hall, 1704 State St. Anyone interested in

n Legal Issues for Small Business, Dulles Building, 3-104, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Course offers instruction on choosing a business organization, zoning approval, licensing and permits, tax implications, small business contracts, small business buyouts and the legal requirements of small-claims court action. Instructor: Larry Covell. Cost: $220. Information/register: Continuing Education, 786-2438.

Wednesday, Jan. 28

registered members, $15. Register in advance by Monday, Jan. 26. Register/ information: chamber, 788-4400 or watertownny.com.

Friday, Jan. 30 & Saturday, Jan. 31 n Snowtown USA Film Festival, downtown. Event will offer official film selections, a juried film competition and family-friendly film workshops in downtown Watertown. Information/register: info@snowtownfilmfestival.com or snowtownfilmfestival.com.

Saturday, Jan. 31 n Marketing & Social Media for Nonprofits, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Extended Learning Center, E-129, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Learn basic marketing techniques for getting the word out about your nonprofit event, including how to develop a general strategy and plan. Instructor: Sara Carpenter. Cost: $45. Information/register: Continuing Education, 786-2438.

Monday, Feb. 2 n ServSafe Certification, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Extended Learning Center, E-129, Jefferson Community College, 1220 Coffeen St. Workshop teaches knowledge and skills needed to prepare and serve foods safely. Test is taken during final 90-minutes of class. Those who need to retake the exam: register for “exam only” portion. Instructor: Pope Vickers. Cost: $275. Information/register: Continuing Education, 786-2438.

 GOT A BUSINESS EVENT or calendar item? Email nnybusiness@wdt.net.

Deadline is the 10th of each month for the following month’s issue. Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NNYBusiness or www.nny bizmag.com for events calendar updates.

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COMMUNITY / BUSINESS CALENDAR

around city. Planned events include opening reception, skating at the Watertown Municipal Ice Arena, craft fair, softball tournament, character breakfast and closing ceremony with fireworks. Information: Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, 788-4400 or chamber@watertownny.com.

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BUSIN E SS S C E N E GWNC Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours at Best Western

Adam Bleau and, Jessica Hart, both of New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Watertown.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

Eugene Langone, Hrabchak Gebo & Langone and Jefferson County Family Court judge-elect, and wife, Amy, Samaritan Medical Center, Watertown.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Patrick Currier, Jenn Foley, Brian Krueger and Steve Curtis, all of Aubertine & Currier Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors, Watertown.

The Best Western and Savory Café hosted the November Greater WatertownNorth Country Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours on Nov. 19.

A truck that works hard to serve you.

From left, Dan Gyoerkoe, Aubertine & Currier Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors, Watertown, and wife, Tracy, Jeff-Lewis BOCES, and Annette Mason and Jerry Peck, both of Aubertine & Currier Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors, Watertown.

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WaiteToyota.com 64 | NNY Business | December 2014

BUSIN E SS S C E N E GWNC Chamber Business After Hours

North Country Arts Council ‘arts. beats. eats.’

From left, Dr. Aimee Paradis and Mary Leone, both of Watertown Center for Sight.

From left, Jade and Parish Atkinson, Harrisville.

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

KEN EYSAMAN PHOTOS | NNY BUSINESS

From left, Kathy Fraser, assistant general manager, Best Western Carriage House Inn, and Jeri Fedora, general manager Best Western Carriage House Inn.

From left, Andrea Pfeiffer and Kim Kernehan, River Hospital, Apexandria Bay. The North Country Arts Council held its annual “arts. beats. eats.” opening reception for the 66th Annual Fall Art Show at the Dulles State Office Building on Nov. 7.

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Warning: Polaris off-road vehicles can be hazardous to operate and are not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to operate. Passengers, if permitted, must be at least 12 years old. All riders should always wear helmets, eye protection, and protective clothing. Always use seat belts and cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/drugs don’t mix. All riders should take a safety training course. Call 800-342-3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. ©2014 Polaris Industries Inc.

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BUSIN E SS H IS T O R Y

The Taggart and Davis Paper Mill, Watertown, ca. 1850s

WATERTOWN DAILY TIMES ARCHIVES

A papermaking icon

Taggart family legacy in paper industry spans generations

By Lorna OPPEDISANO

D NNY Business

espite its simple construction, the paper bag has a history seeded in the north country that few people are likely to ponder as they pack the day’s lunch and hustle out the door each morning.

The story begins in the cotton fields of the South during the Civil War. Bags had traditionally been made from cotton, but during the war the Union Artmy burned many of the fields, causing a raw material shortage.

Byron B. Taggart — a north country native whose family was among the first to settle in the area — and his associate A. H. Hall, began making paper bags by hand in a small shop on Beebe’s Island in 1865.

According to a Watertown Daily Times article from Jan. 26, 1985, “Mr. Taggart bought what paper he could in the market and pasted the bags together by hand. There were no machines for that purpose in those days.”

Mr. Taggart was soon joined by his brother, William W. Taggart, as well as George West and Lewis Palmer, and the company “West,

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Palmer and Taggarts” was born.

During the next couple decades, changes were made to the firm. In 1866, a portion of the building suffered from a fire, and a new rag engine and Fourdrinier machine were installed. By the 1870s, the Taggarts took exclusive ownership of the firm after the other partners sold their shares of the business. The new company “Taggart Brothers” took up residence at a former distillery and flour mill near the city’s lower dam. For a number of years until 1891, the company also produced newsprint.

In 1883, the process of paper bag making was revolutionized. That year, Charles Stillwell of Philadelphia patented an automated machine dubbed “The Stillwell,” which could make a bag from a roll of paper, according to an Oct. 11, 1983, Times article.

Mr. B. B. Taggart played a role in the development of the machine and, after he later sold his interest, retained the right to use the patented machines at his mills in Watertown, Felts Mills and Oswego.

Prior to this leap forward in technology, the Taggart Brothers process was only partially automated; they used two tubing machines with a capacity of making 75,000

bags per day. After Mr. Stillwell’s invention hit the scene, the Taggarts sped up the process to “3,600 finished bags per hour, completing with ease 25,000 50 pound flour sacks in 10 hours,” according to Times files.

In 1886, the firm was incorporated with a capital of $50,000 by the brothers along with George C. Sherman, Fanny L. Taggart and Alice L. Taggart. It was also at this point that manila paper machines were installed in their mill at 595 W. Main St. Mr. B. B. Taggart, hailed in an April 14, 1941 Times article as having been “the founder of one of Watertown’s most important manufacturing industries,” as well as mayor in the late 1870s, died in 1897, leaving the responsibility of the company in his brother hands. Less than a decade later, Mr. W. W. Taggart also passed away, and leadership of Taggart Brothers was passed on to the next generation. Mr. B. B. Taggart Jr. assumed the position of the company’s president.

The company didn’t have any labor problems. Mr. Sherman, a partner in the firm, had an “industrial democracy plan.”

The company divided savings on a 50-50 basis, held an endowed room at two area

hospitals offering free treatment to employees and their families, and maintained a pension fund.

Mr. Sherman and David M. Anderson, both of whom were considered “veterans of the paper industry,” according to the Times, were instrumental in the creation of St. Regis Paper Company in 1900, a firm which would eventually grow to include plants all across the country, including the Taggart Brothers plants.

In 1928, St. Regis bought 25,000 shares of Taggart Brothers, thereby gaining control of the firm. The company became known as the Taggart Corporation, and Roy K. Ferguson, a member of St. Regis since 1917, was made president. Mr. Taggart, the original bag maker’s grandson, became vice president and, later, chairman of the board of directors.

After acquiring all the Taggart mills, as well as the Champion Paper company mill, the Taggart Corporation became “one of the largest groups of properties in the United States manufacturing kraft bag paper and multi-wall bags.”

But the golden age of Taggart papermaking in the north country would only last so long. By 1949, orders at the Taggart Carthage mill were down, and the mill was closed. This was almost a decade after the passing of the Mr. B. B. Taggart Jr. in April 1941. In 1951, St. Regis moved the Taggart operation south, leaving the mill on West Main Street idle.

Abe Cooper bought the property in 1954 for the Aco Machine Company for the renovation of paper machinery, according to a Times article from June 1, 1973. However, operations only lasted until 1959, and the building was once again vacant.

The story of the Watertown mill comes to a close in 1973 with a decision to demolish the building after a fire weakened its conditions the year before.

However, this was not the end of the Taggart’s papermaking legacy. Watertown native Byron Taggart Edwards, grandson of Mr. B. B. Taggart, Jr., was the next in the family to carry the torch. According to the 1985 Times article, Mr. Edwards served as vice president of Champion International Paper Corp., a company that had since acquired the St. Regis Paper Company. At the time of the article’s publication, Champion was largest forest products company in the nation. n Business history is a monthly feature from the archives of the Watertown Daily Times. Visit www.watertowndailytimes. com to access digital archives since 1988, or stop by the Times, 260 Washington St., Watertown to research materials in our library that date back to the 1800s.

December 2014 | NNY Business

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I

N E X T M ON T H

n our January issue, we examine the business and economic outlook for Northern new York in 2015 with a special focus on what cuts in defense spending might mean for the Fort Drum region.

Also coming next month: n THE YEAR THAT WAS: We take a look back at some of the businesses, issues and industries that made headlines across Northern New York last year. n YOUNG PROFESSIONALS: The Thousand Islands Young Leader Organization and the Greater Watertown Jaycees connect young north country people. We look at their impact. n HOUSE NO. 12: Leigh Dillenback started an architectural design firm in July in Clayton and she is often asked about the name she chose for the business. We visit her for her story. n 20 QUESTIONS: An in-depth interview with a north country business leader n PLUS: Small Business Startup, NNY Snapshot, Economically Speaking, Commerce Corner, Nonprofits, Business Tech Bytes, Small Business Success, Real Estate, Agri-Business, Business History and Business Scene. n VISIT US ONLINE at www.nnybizmag.com.

Follow us on Twitter for daily updates at @NNYBusinessMag, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nnybusiness, and view eEditions at www.issuu.com/NNYBusiness.

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BusIness 260 Washington St. Watertown, NY 13601

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