Following in father’s footsteps has been a tradition in the James Ryan family. It began with football at Brighton High School, where having a Jim Ryan lining up under center every 30 years or so was the norm. It continued ...
Read More »Jim Ryan Jr. a leader at Ryco as he was on football field
‘Lawyer for the little guy’ 
Look closely into almost any major social justice issue facing the Rochester community during the past four decades and one name will pop up again and again — Bryan D. Hetherington. As he approaches retirement in the fall, the Empire ...
Read More »Farmer’s daughter leads effort to sell state’s apples 
Growing up the daughter of a Midwest fruit and vegetable farmer, Cynthia Haskins wanted to own her own farm one day. “Bigger than that, I wanted to be my own shipper,” Haskins said recently in her office at the New ...
Read More »Lisk Co. CEO continues growth at longtime Rochester business 
When Edward Maier interviewed at G.W. Lisk Co. Inc. four years ago, he asked his interviewers what made the company successful. They may have answered by pointing to the fact that Maier’s predecessor was known for his generosity and giving ...
Read More »A life of care with Mary Berk 
Life has few experiences more daunting than watching a loved one slip into the throes of dementia or become immobile after an accident. Caregivers must be there to oversee the minutiae of that person’s daily life. It’s a thankless and ...
Read More »Architecture intrigued SWBR president from an early age 
Tom Gears’ introduction to architecture didn’t come from a textbook or career fair—it came from television. He was intrigued by the work of Mike Brady, the fictional father on “The Brady Bunch.” Something about having a home office and wearing ...
Read More »Staffing agency founder keeps employees happy as she pushes for growth 
Growth is a choice. As president and founder of Career Start Workforce Management Group, Lindsay McCutchen has chosen growth for her company. As of the end of May, Career Start’s revenue is up 52 percent compared to last year at ...
Read More »Jason Barrett and the spirit(s) of Rochester 
You’d be hard-pressed to find a story more “Rochesterian” than that of Black Button Distilling founder Jason Barrett. It’s a story of industrialism, perseverance, proud family legacies and forging one’s own path. Barrett’s story, or at least his family’s, begins ...
Read More »Z-Axis owner succeeds through focus on customers, employees 
Michael Allen says it’s easy to buy a company. “You convince the seller that he’s going to hold a note for 10 percent. You convince the county that they’ll come in for 5 percent. You convince the SBA to provide ...
Read More »Tom Matthews leaves a legacy of leadership at SUNY Geneseo 
Thirty-eight thousand. That’s a conservative estimate of how many workshops in leadership that SUNY Geneseo students have taken under Tom Matthews’ direction. The founder of the Geneseo Opportunities for Leadership Development program, or GOLD, Matthews knows that number because he ...
Tagged with: GOLD program Hurricane Katrina Livingston Cares Nelson Rockefeller Robert MacVittie SUNY Geneseo Tom Matthews
Read More »Bridge to success: CPL president stresses collaboration at work 
You had to figure Dan Duprey Jr. was going places based on how quickly he was taking charge of the job site with his first employer. Fresh out of college and armed with a degree in civil engineering from Tri-State ...
Read More »ACT Rochester leader Ann Johnson takes an analytical approach 
Ann Johnson’s experience has shown her there are two factors crucial to getting others to make a decision. For Johnson, a position built on a foundation of solid data, coupled with persistence, is key to change. “Throughout my career I’ve ...
Read More »Dresden Engle is the real thing in public relations 
Dresden Engle requires two things of her public relations clients: “They have to be ethical, and I need to have a direct line to the CEO.” Another way to say it might be that things need to be real. And ...
Tagged with: Dresden Engle Dresden Public Relations EstroFest rochester music hall of fame RocParent SheRocs ymca
Read More »Kim Condon gives strength to the fragile at Daystar 
Kim Condon is not afraid to pick up garbage, wipe down a trash can or mop a floor at the agency she heads. Nor is she afraid to shed a tear or two when asked about the children and families ...
Read More »Girl Scouts CEO works to improve young lives, expand program’s reach 
Judy Cranston lives by the Girl Scout motto: “Do a good turn daily and be a sister to every Girl Scout.” A Girl Scout herself and CEO of Girl Scouts of Western New York, Cranston is devoted to the ...
Read More »