Comments:
I have been VERY fortunate in life since graduating from LSHS in 1967, having spent a stint in the USMC and being selected to train at Marine OCS in Quantico, VA (Honorable Medical Discharge earned 10 May, 1969). Attended RIT in Rochester, 1970 - 1977, majoring in Mechanical/Industrial Engineering Technology and Production Management. I also attended the University of PA (Law + Business Administration/Economics), NYU (Real Estate & Construction Diploma earned), Drexel and Temple Universities (Business Administration/Marketing - Marketing Management Diploma from Temple University's Fox School of Business).
I play golf (sometimes quite badly, but frequently, nonetheless), and currently have a USGA Handicap Index that fluctuates between about 12 to 15 or 16 (it's getting ugly; I used to be an 8-handicap) .... and I play bass guitar, plus a variety of other musical instruments, hopefully to a lower handicap index than I play golf.
I have been happily married to a wonderful woman, Caroline Emerick Mael, since Sept. 1982 (not my first marriage, unfortunately), and have a wonderful son who was born two days prior to my 21st birthday, an absolutely fabulous daughter with whom I was just united in June of 2009 (long story that I would be happy to share .... she's great!) plus two beautiful grandchildren and a great grandson, born in July, 2015 -- see photo gallery.
My son and I have actually also been business partners in two bars and nightclubs in Gainesville, FL -- I had hoped to make this, plus my golf clubmaking and fitting business and a few other business ventures, a source of "retirement funds". Looks like the bars/nightclubs won't be providing any retirement income, as they became a big drain on funds and we discovered that our other business partner was engaging in some "creative bookkeeping". We took our losses and got out of the bar business several years ago.
After spending more than 27 years in the construction industry, with several as a Vice President with the world's largest Construction Management firm (Bovis International) and traveling around the world for them, I have worked in media and publishing as a Sales Manager and then Regional Director since the mid-1990s (the last 11 years with Penton Media, Inc. as a Regional Manager, then Director for the company's Foodservice and Retail Division). I was forced into "early retirement" from Penton in April, 2011, but did some consulting in the media/publishing industry until March of 2012, when I began collecting my Social Security. I continue to work about 40 to as much as 50+ hours per week in my golf clubmaking and repair business, Doug's Custom Clubs. I am also a partner in a business called Tour Quality Golf, with locations in Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.
As you can also see from my photo gallery, I have a beautiful family and diverse interests, ranging from sports, to motorcycling, to music .... NOT JUST TOWER OF POWER, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE THE BEST BAND OUT THERE AND HAVE BEEN FOR ALMOST 50 YEARS! I still play music whenever I can, and it is through music that I met my current wife (we played in the same musical organization in NYC in the early 1980s). I also really enjoy playing golf, as well as fitting and building custom golf clubs, for which I won Golfsmith's "Distinguished Clubmaker Award" in 1998 (less than 1% of Professional Clubmakers worldwide have ever earned this award). I am also a Charter Member of the International Clubmakers Guild (ICG) and the Association of Golf Clubfitting Professionals (AGCP).
Before I bore all of you completely, I will wrap it up. Sorry to have missed the Class of '67 40th & 45th Reunions (I was away traveling on business), but I hope to make the 50th Reunion, God willing!!!
