Professional
Co-owner:
Netmeister
1999 to present
Bregenz, Austria
- Combines my marketing, programming and technical talents in new,
exciting ways.
- Mission:
- Locate business anywhere in central Europe that have websites
without English versions.
- Determine feasibility and value of English-version website.
- "Grab" HTML code from existing websites.
- Re-write the text in clear, compelling promotional, informational,
or technical language, as the case may be.
- Clean up the code as required.
- Solicit the prospect by demonstrating a fully translated web page,
complete with graphics, that mirrors the existing page or
pages.
- Do so in a manner that requires no additional programming on the
part of the prospect, thus saving them money and time and ensuring accuracy.
- Clients include brewerys, banks, hi-tech manufacturers, packaging
companies, international delivery services, airlines, private
investment firms, and tourist destinations such as ski resorts,
hotels, and other activities that draw on multi-lingual clients.
- Designed and programmed Internet sites (such as this one).
- Learned new programming techniques and languages by studying and working
with customer web sites.
- Includes management of Netmeister.biz and its subsets
Vice President - Marketing: e-realty.com
1997 to 1999
Houston, Texas
- An exciting internet-based start-up which successfully sold to
Prudential Realty.
- Conducted a no-cost agency search and selection process in
which 23 agencies agreed to provide speculative research, marketing and
creative work on behalf of an unknown start-up. I estimate that over $1/2
million was expended in research and creative production at no cost to us.
The chairman of one of the contending agencies hand-carried my inquiry
to his New York headquarters to tout it as the way an agency search should
be--but rarely is--conducted.
- Sold Advertising space on a yet-to-be-developed website to mortgage
bankers including Norwest Mortgage and Banc One.
- Sold Partnering concepts to mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers, real
estate brokers, and many others. These firms agreed to provide premium
services to our customers at highly discounted fees.
- Attended trade shows and presentations from coast-to-coast to "get
smart" in the real estate and internet businesses, and to validate our concept.
- Authored and made numerous presentations to such highly regarded venture
capital firms as Sevin Rosen, Austin Ventures, Vanguard Venture Partners,
TL Ventures, Rho Management and many others, gaining invaluable
experience in the process. E-Realty raised $10,000,000 from VCs and
$35,000,000 from strategic partners.
- Authored and made numerous presentations to private individuals who
ultimately invested in excess of $2,000,000.
- Wrote those segments of the business plan that pertained to marketing,
public relations, sales, and strategic partnerships.
Lee Rushlow, Inc., Marketing and Advertising Consulting
1991 to 1997
Asheville, North Carolina
- Wrote business and marketing plans
- Served as consultant for agency searches,
negotiating contracts, and monitoring client/agency relationships.
Principal Owner and Marketing Partner:
Group Three Corporation
1973 to 1990
Pompano Beach and Orlando, Florida
- As documented by Advertising Age, Florida's largest agency for seven
consecutive years; consistently ranked among the world's 100 largest agencies.
- Designed and implemented marketing communications and sales programs for
numerous financial institutions and investment firms, including
NationsBank, First Union, Southeast Bank, The First Bankers, Gulfstream Banks,
Atlantic Federal, Freedom Federal, Naples Federal, The Templeton Group,
International Precious Metals and others. Dealt at the Board of Directors level,
served on three boards, but perfectly comfortable working with the greenest
Marketing Assistant.
- Largest defense marketer in the world, representing such clients as
Rockwell International, United Technologies, Bendix Corporation, Gould
Electronics, Allied-Signal) and others.
- Other major clients included Dole, Piper Aircraft Corporation, Dun and
Bradstreet, Schlumberger and Siemens.
- All aspects of corporate life, including policy decisions, legal
procedures, marketing, public relations, profit-sharing, and personnel decisions
fell within my bailiwick.
- Chaired the Transworld Advertising Agency Network, a confederation of
over 100 agencies worldwide.
- Named by Advertising Age as one of the "100 Best and Brightest" in
Advertising.
- Selected by Sales Management & Marketing as one of 50 top marketers in
United States.
Nuclear Submarine Officer: United States Navy
1969 to 1973
USS Ethan Allen, SSBN 608
- Enlisted as Common Seaman, 1969. Academic and Military Honorman,
Radioman "A" School.
- Academic Distinction and Leadership Awards, Officer Candidate School.
- Academic and Military Distinction, Navy Supply Corps School.
- Academic and Military Distinction, Submarine School.
- Additional training in nuclear weapons, tactics, and war strategies.
- Nuclear trained, qualified and certified, USS Ethan Allen. Only staff
officer in history of service to be granted line certification, personally
awarded by COMSUBLANT.
- Operated under auspices of Personal Reliability Program, cleared to Top
Secret.
- Accelerated promotions allowed attainment of rank of Lieutenant before
leaving to found Group Three.
Sales and Marketing: Proctor and Gamble
1968 to 1969
Bar Soap and Household Cleaning Products Division
- Unit Manager, South Florida. Responsible for introductions of Downy and
Biz to South Florida market.
- Made the largest single sale in P & G history.
- "Spirit of 76" award for outstanding accomplishments, 1968
- New Salesman of the Year, 1969.
Community
- Board of Governors, Trustee, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
- Board of Directors, Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce.
- Director, South Florida Initiative (international reverse investment)
- Served on trade missions to England, Hong Kong and Switzerland.
- Led teams in Germany and Switzerland.
- Director, South Florida Inc. (marketing to attract clean light industry
to South Florida).
Education
A-B Tech
2003 to 2004
4.0 GPA
- Enrolled in Sonography coursework
- Courses included physics, diagnostic sonography, anatomy and physiology,
medical terminology and more.
- Placed at top of class
University of North Carolina at Asheville
1991 to 1997
3.96 GPA
- BA Biology, BA Management
- Courses of special interest include amphibian studies, vertebrate field
zoology,
parasitology, meteorology, geology, astronomy, physics of sound, physics
of
light, taxation, behavior.
- Studies in science were balanced with novel and short story writing
courses,
humanities and history, philosophy, and other areas of personal interest.
- Assisted Carolina Power and Light biologists with fish and aquatic
surveys to
determine the impact of that company's operations on local environments.
- Stand-in for various professors when circumstances prevented their
teaching.
University of Florida
1964 to 1968
Gainesville, Florida
- BSBA, double major in Marketing and Finance.
- Paid my own way by managing clothing stores, selling wigs, chopping
wood . . . whatever.
Awards
- Selection as top marketer by Sales Management and Marketing.
- Selection as top advertising executive by Advertising Age.
- Outstanding Young Men of America award.
- Leadership Award, Navy Officer Candidate School.
- Academic and Military honors at every military command.
- Sunshine Award by the Ft. Lauderdale Art Institute.
- Chancellor's List at UNCA.
Memberships
- Mensa
- Various social and business fraternities
Personal Data
- Born in Wyandotte, MI in 1946.
- Empty nester, both daughters grown and married.
- Reasonable skier, tennis player, and photographer; expert scuba diver,
underwater photographer; reasonable amateur astronomer; weightlifter.
- Extended wilderness experience (mountain, desert, lake country);
experienced with topographical maps and navigation.
- Nothing scary in the closet.
References
- Jerry Kerr, Chairman, Bates Southwest, Houston, Texas.
E-mail: jkerr@mail.batesww.com
- Jon Bayless, Managing Partner, Sevin Rosen, Dallas, Texas.
- Tibor Taraba, Vice President, Marketing Communications (ret.), Reuben H.
Donnelley, New York
- John Drury, VP Marketing, AutoNationUSA. E-mail:
druryj@autonationusa.com
- M.G. Sanchez, Chairman, First Florida Banks
- Patsy Reed, Chancellor, UNCA. E-Mail: pdreed@aol.com
- Henry Stern, Foreign Language Chair, UNCA. E-Mail: hstern@unca.edu
- Donal Erskine, Director of Communications (ret.), Bendix Corporation
- Mike Stuart, Professor of Biology, UNCA. E-mail: stuart@unca.edu
- Jim Petranka, Professor of Biology, UNCA. E-mail: petranka@unca.edu
- Mike Ruiz, Physics Chair, UNCA. E-mail: ruiz@unca.edu
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