Our family first came to know Seabrook as a place to vacation during the ‘90’s. In 2004 we committed to SI by buying a lot with grand plans. By 2010 Sarajane and I had purchased a home on Privateer Creek Road and became full time residents the following year. Our three grown children and seven grandchildren know this is “home”.
I hold a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the City College of New York and an MBA from the City University of New York with a concentration in industrial psychology. While pursuing my graduate degree I taught in the New York City School System.
My business career began with a chemical manufacturer where I had corporate responsibility for professional staffing and training. I was later recruited to lead the Management Training function for the Eaton Corporation, a global, diversified manufacturer, in Cleveland, Ohio.
I remained with Eaton, for thirty-two years culminating as the corporate Vice President of Leadership and Organization Development with responsibility for executive development, succession planning, coaching, organization development, as well as creating Eaton’s Corporate University.
Over the years my interests led to serving as a trustee or member of an advisory committee for an array of Northeast Ohio community organizations targeting education, the arts, human relations as well as regional economic development. They include the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland Scholarship Program, Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, and Karamu House.
On Seabrook, having served as a member of the Long Range Planning Committee for five years, I was elected to the BOD to complete a one year term where I serve as the Vice Chair of the LRP and Chair of the ad hoc Committee on Volunteerism. Over this period, I have played a role in the Bi-Annual Survey Sub-Committee for 2020 and 2022, the committee to recast the SI “vision statement”, and most recently working to improve our practices and processes as they relate to generating greater Volunteerism.
As Seabrook Island continues to grow and change, we potentially benefit from an infusion of people with a wealth of knowledge and leadership experience who have chosen to join us. Leveraging their capabilities is essential to what we are as a community and what we will become. Our vitality is dependent on volunteers. While many will gravitate to areas of personal interest, we need to emphasize the role island governance plays in helping perpetuate what we all value about Seabrook. We need to make certain that the intake valve on our pipeline to Island leadership remains open. Newcomers must recognize the critical role governance plays and become more involved early in their assimilation.
My career plan never included staying with one business for thirty plus years, However, in so doing I had the opportunity to work under five unique CEOs, each of whom breathed life into the values and vision of the organization. They continue to serve as my model of excellence for leaders in general, whether C-Suite executives or members of a Board of Directors.
