Succession is more than the transfer of responsibility; it is the honoring of a rich history and embracing a new vision. Strictly Business has been a leader in the North Country business community for 35 years. Honoring its legacy, while setting the stage for a new era is best represented by the discussions at Breakfast with Herb and Mike…
Mike: How did you come up with the idea for the Forum?
Herb: I didn’t. It was Mary’s idea. Our first issue of Strictly Business was published in March of 1990. As the year progressed, she floated the idea of having something different for the January issue. When she suggested we invite business people representing different segments of the economy to talk about the issues facing them, I told her it was a “cockamamie” idea. “No one would be interested in that,” I said. I sure was wrong.
Mike: Tell me about that first Forum.
Herb: Thirty-five people came, representing construction, retail, insurance, manufacturing, agriculture, government, banking, education, and communications. Looking back, I am struck by how forward thinking they were. Mark Barie, founder of Crossborder Development Corp, made a prediction at that Forum, “Economic development is on the verge of a huge growth spurt in the North Country.”
Mike: He was right. Think of all the companies that have settled here in the past 35 years.
Herb: When did you participate in your first Forum?
Mike: In 1998. I had only been working at Northeast for three months, but you wanted me to be there. I remember putting on a suit and tie and being so uncomfortable. I didn’t fit in. And then, there I was at the table with pillars of the community. The moderator asked each of us about our business and personal background. They all had Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. I hadn’t graduated from high school, but I learned an invaluable lesson that day. They were all great people who were welcoming and willing to help me and others who were starting out in the business world. I am still in touch with some of those people and I will always be grateful to them.
Herb: It didn’t take long before you were accepted by the business community and moved into a leadership position. And, in recent years you’ve taken a leading role in organizing the Forums.
Mike: Over the years the Forums have changed. The first ones were organized around a strict set of questions and participants were expected to speak on each one. In recent years we have updated the questions and now we focus on dialog. Another obvious change is the gender balance. At the 1990 Forum there were two women. At this year’s Forum there were 22 women. That change has not been driven by a desire to be politically correct, but as a recognition of how women have assumed leadership positions in all areas of the North County economy. Business here is no longer controlled by middle aged, white men.
Herb: When we first hosted Forums, we worried we would not attract enough people to fill our roundtables. Attendance is one more thing that has changed.
Mike: Absolutely! In recent years I have extended many of our invitations and responses are always enthusiastic. A couple of years ago I called a well-respected person in the community to ask him to join us. His answer still makes me laugh. He said, “I’ve been a bridesmaid for 20 years and now I’m going to get to go to the wedding!”
When we talk about changes, we can’t forget what happened when COVID shut down any possibility of an in-person event. Our first reaction was to wait until the pandemic passed, but after a discussion with our IT Supervisor, Pete, we decided to go for it. Technology allowed us to hold the 2020 and 2021 Forums on line. We missed the comradery, but the show went on.
Herb: While there have been many changes over the years, the essence of the Forums hasn’t changed. They offer an opportunity for us to sit with people we may not know and talk about what we have in common.
Mike: The highlight of the Forums for me was always your introductions. As you went around the room, you would speak personally and affectionately about so many of the attendees. I was impressed. In 2017, you were in the hospital, so I was thrown into the mix. The introductions were more difficult than I thought. But now, I have been the emcee for each Forum we have held at MHAB. I learned from you to come prepared, sprinkle in some humor and make people feel as special as I can. I am proud to carry on the SB tradition.
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