Born along the rock bound coast of Maine, I have a foundation that is built on my heritage.  My Great Grandfather was a lighthouse keeper at Goose Rock Light, located in the Fox Island Thoroughfare, between North Haven and Vinalhaven, back in the early 1900’s.  My grandfather spent time there, and was also assistant lighthouse keeper at the Rockland breakwater lighthouse.  This is an occupation that takes dedication and perseverance because so many people are depending on that lighthouse to help them find their way.

The intrinsic values needed for this type of work were passed down through the generations through my father and on to me.  No, I’m not a lighthouse keeper by occupation, but in a larger sense I am responsible for sharing light with others.  This is the attitude I bring to my life.

From my first real job, not counting an early morning paper route, customer service has always been the real focus of the work.  I started out working week ends in a local radio station because I loved music, and that’s what I wanted to do with my life.  My goal was to play music that would be uplifting, inspiring, encouraging, or what ever words you want to plug in, so that I made their day a little better through what I said and what I played.

I’ve carried this philosophy with me through the years, adjusting it as necessary to meet the needs of each job situation. During my tenure as a property manager, the underlying principle was to ensure that our guests felt that someone cared about what they needed, and went out of their way to make sure everything was as expected. 

In the purchasing profession, this philosophy became double sided.  Now my customers became my coworkers who had need of goods and services that my department provided.  On the other side, my supervisors needed information from me in a timely fashion as their decisions directed the overall plan for the organization.  It was my goal to be sure the necessary supplies were available when needed, equipment was working properly and any problems were addressed and resolved as quickly as possible.

My customers, whether it is the traditional external customer, or the internal customer of coworkers and supervisors, they have received the service they needed and deserved from someone who cared enough to give them the attention they desired and the solutions they needed.

Yes, that philosophy of the lighthouse has continued to guide my course, as I became a lighthouse to those around me to navigate them through their day.