by Mark Smiley | Aug 31, 2015 | General Featured
by Brent New
Writer for and on behalf of the City of Glendale
This fall the reigning champions of the Women’s Premier League will play inside the multi-million-dollar, state-of-the-art Infinity Park stadium. Looking to defend the title, the Glendale Raptors Women will play all four of their home games inside the stadium, on soft, luscious grass. Home games against the San Diego Surfers (September 12), the Oregon Rugby Sports Union (October 10), Berkeley All Blues (October 24) and Beantown RFC (November 7) will begin at 3 p.m, and will include full stadium production and will be webcast on the RugbyTown USA website.
“The team is very excited to play in the stadium,” said Taryn Brennan, the team’s co-captain. “We always enjoy having the opportunity to use the facilities at Glendale. It gives us a chance to get the community excited about women’s rugby and fill seats in the stadium.”
Where the Raptors play, however, should be only part of their increased popularity this fall — winning should be a reason too.
If you haven’t been tuned in, the Raptors’ WPL team haven’t lost a match in more than 10 months, a streak that could be extended this fall.
“I don’t know how much we focus on it, but it has been a good ride,” Rachel Ryan said. “We are proud of what we’ve accomplished but not satisfied.”
When Ryan, Brennan and their teammates look back on this accomplishment, a win streak that started with a WPL championship, and continued through an undefeated developmental season in the spring, it’s impossible to forget how it started: A controversial 13-7 semifinals loss to the Atlanta Harlequins.
A defeat that would never hold up.
In reality, the Raptors didn’t play well enough to win that day, yet the Harlequins were forced to forfeit for using an ineligible player and the Raptors moved on anyway.
Then-coach Michael Fealey said he didn’t know how to feel about it at the time.
“It feels strange,” he said.
Either way, it had the Raptors, perhaps the biggest beneficiaries in recent WPL history, moving on and winning the championship over the Twin Cities Amazons a day later.
There, of course, is still controversy surrounding it to this day.
“It’s something that fuels us. We didn’t choose for it to happen like that but we want to prove ourselves,” Ryan said.
Years from now, when looking back on the loss that never was, some of the critics will fade and some will not.
What’s undeniable, though, is that the second chance also served as the springboard moment to maybe the best year in Glendale women’s rugby history.
“Some people said we didn’t deserve it. It was frustrating. There were people hiding behind computers, telling us we didn’t deserve it,” Raptors veteran Jeanna Beard said. “We know we deserved it. We know the fight it took, we know we’re champions.”
New women’s coach Mark Bullock, meanwhile, says it is time to move on.
When asked about it in the offseason, the rugby expert downplayed the importance of the streak and said it was not what his team was focused on going forward.
“Every team is different,” Bullock said. “We’re different than the team that won last year. And we’re different than the team from the spring. From our standpoint, there is no pressure to repeat or be undefeated, or whatever. We want to get better and play at our highest potential.”
He’s right, in that the 2015 team will look far different than the team that won in 2014.
Fealey, for one, has since been replaced by Bullock, who took over after Fealey resigned last January. Jenna Anderson, Jen Montoya and Jamie Burke have since retired. And Mary Pezzulo has been moved off the active roster after she injured her ACL on the first day of fall practice.
“A lot of veterans will not be on this squad,” Bullock said. “We’ll need some players to step up in leadership roles and some already have.”
The Raptors do return Ryan, Joanna Kitlinski, Laura Miller and Sarah Chobot — who were named to the USA Eagles roster over the summer, as well as Hannah Stolba who returns to the team after she missed the spring season hiking the Appalachian Trail.
And from the spring season, they bring back breakout stars Denali Graham and Fatima Chavez, who should help the team’s overall speed in Bullock’s up-tempo pace.
“I’m super excited for the players we have,” Bullock said. “We have high expectations of how we perform.”
When asked for goal-oriented expectations, Bullock went just short of mentioning another championship.
“I guess the goal would be to get to the semifinals,” he said. “If you do that, you have a chance.”
The Raptors should know that better than anyone.
by Mark Smiley | Aug 3, 2015 | General Featured
Beating the stress of back to school: what you can do to help your anxious student
(BPT) – Do you or your child have the back-to-school blues? If so, you’re not the only ones. Saying goodbye to slower summer days can be difficult. For almost three months, you have felt free from the structure of the classroom and the accompanying homework. When the upcoming school year rolls around, it’s common to feel some sadness. For children who suffer from anxiety, this stress may be harder to handle, and it may stem from more than just pop quizzes and earlier bedtimes.
These children need extra attention as the new school year draws near. The best thing you can do to prepare your child is to give the gift of your time and attention. Instead of dwelling on things like tests and homework, talk about how to make the transition into the exciting new school year the best it can be.
Lauren Zimet, director of the Early Insights Healthy Foundations Program, is a mother herself and has pinpointed the top four back-to-school tips and tricks to make the transition easier. These tips will help to reduce the stress and tension felt by you and your child, not only for the first weeks of school (the hardest time to adjust) but throughout the year as well.
1. Connected communication. Engage in a conversation with your child and ask what he or she is excited and concerned about for the upcoming school year. Give your child the freedom to speak openly and avoid asking too many questions at once. You’ll know you are connecting when he starts volunteering information. When you listen to your child, and he can see the genuine interest and attention in your eyes and through your body language, he will feel more comfortable discussing the upcoming year.
2. Creative calendars. Planning ahead makes adults feel prepared, which is a huge de-stressor. The same goes for your child. Younger children only need a day or two to look forward to their big day. Older children may benefit from discussing the year weeks before the first day, especially if those conversations include working on things like organization, planning, prioritizing, and sequencing (those important executive functions of the brain).
3. Visualize the goal. Get specific and help your child visualize the first day of school. Have your child tell you or draw out the sequence of the day, from waking up in the morning, to dressing in an outfit chosen the night before, to what she’ll be enjoying as her brain-boosting energy breakfast. The more your child can visualize her routine(s), the more she will be at ease when the big day finally arrives.
4. Load up on brain food. Breakfast is coined “the most important meal of the day,” and rightly so! Food is the fuel for the brain and body, and the quality of the fuel matters. Whatever you choose to give your body and brain each morning will enable you to do a certain level of thinking. American breakfasts are often unbalanced, heavily favoring carbs, which are only a tiny part of the good-breakfast equation. Encourage your child to pick a protein each morning, as well as fruit, veggie, and healthy fat and carb options. From there, complement his or her diet with an omega-3 fatty acid supplement from a reputable fish oil company like Nordic Naturals. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to help soothe anxious brains as well as support the entire nervous system, so don’t miss out on this simple improvement opportunity. Research on omega-3 fatty acids can be found at www.omega-research.com.
The new school year is on its way and while this time of year may cause some children to feel anxious, there are things you can do to help. Employ any of the suggestions above to help your child start feeling more excited about the new school year with each passing day.
by Mark Smiley | Jun 25, 2015 | General Featured
by Mark Smiley
The Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation (originally founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Foundation) came to Denver in the form of CGI America conference at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel from June 8-10 and the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle was in attendance. It was the second consecutive CGI America event in Denver with the annual conference moving to Atlanta next June.
This year’s conference in Denver attracted wide national media attention as the Clinton Foundation has come under attack because of a book titled Clinton Cash by conservative author Peter Schweizer whose criticisms have been expanded upon by various liberal media outlets including The New York Times and The Washington Post. The critical press attention clearly had an effect as attendance was reduced from 1,500 attendees in 2014 to 1,000 this year and the number of financial sponsors reduced from 35 to 13. While President Clinton and Chelsea attended this year, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton chose to remain in Washington and work on her presidential campaign.
Enthusiastic Attendees
But the negative media attention concerning the Clinton Foundation did not appear to dim the enthusiasm of those attending this year’s CGI America conference. Very few people from the Cherry Creek Valley were fortunate enough to attend the event as it was restricted to Clinton Foundation members only as well as invited speakers and the press. Membership in the Clinton Foundation is similar to an exclusive country club and by “invitation only,” costing $20,000 annually ($19,000 of which is tax deductible according to the Foundation).
Membership in the Clinton Foundation entitles your organization to one person attending the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) held in New York City every fall. Not just anyone from your organization can attend; you must be a “CEO, chairman or executive director” to be permitted to attend the event in New York. CGI America is one of at least four offshoots of CGI including: CGI Latin America, CGI Middle East and Africa, and CGI University. The CEO restriction was apparently significantly relaxed for the Denver event.
One might ask what an attendee can gain from attending. Gwendolyn Rodriguez of the startup company Venture In Network (VIN), which sets out to increase the success rates of startups, specifically those led by women and minority entrepreneurs, commented: “I would love to leave with part of a team and of course funding is important. I would love to get commitments from people who are passionate about strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem.”
Denver’s Scaled Down Occasion
CGI Middle East and Africa held their event in May at a five star resort, the Palmeraie Palace in Marrakesh, Morocco, which includes a championship 18 hole golf course. The event became controversial when it was learned that government controlled phosphate mining company OPC paid the Clinton Foundation $ 1,000,000 to sponsor the event. OPC has been accused of human rights violations by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice among others.
The CGI America event held in Denver was a much more down home event than that held in Morocco. The big, sponsored event in Denver was simply an “evening of science and STEM trivia” coupled with “beer education” sponsored by CA Technologies.
Prince Of Darkness Holds Court
Denver had to pay approximately $500,000 to the Clinton Foundation to hold the event, which was raised by Steve Farber, a principal in the law firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. Farber has been called Denver’s “Prince of Darkness” for his behind the scenes manipulations of Denver government. He is considered second only to Oakwood Homes founder Pat Hamill for his control over Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. His firm represented Mayor Hancock in 2011 concerning charges he was a patron of houses of prostitution in Denver, including Denver Players/Denver Sugar. Both Farber and Hamill are important directors of Colorado Concern, an organization of wealthy corporate CEOs who seek to directly influence Colorado politics.
Farber was very much in evidence at the event. His table was front and center and he would stand up to receive visitors dressed to the T in what one attendee called his “Mafia don pinstriped suit.”
Well Run Event
If one thing was abundantly clear it was that the Clinton Foundation knows how to hold a conference with details both large and small attended to with incredible professionalism. If you were not previously aware that the event was being held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel you would think that the hotel was called the “CGI America.” The signage overlays for the event seemed almost permanent and were ubiquitous.
If you ever looked confused about where you were supposed to go, a friendly volunteer would approach and point you in the right direction. Volunteers were dressed in what one volunteer humorously called their “Jet Blue Flight Attendant uniforms.” They seamlessly directed attendees to empty chairs at the crowded luncheons. The media room was sumptuously laid out for the always ravenous press.
Television Interviews
One of the highlights of the conference were the television interviews of former President Bill Clinton by CNN and Bloomberg News on the last day of the event. The CNN interview was for the kickoff of Jake Tapper taking over from Candy Crowley on CNN’s Sunday “State of the Union” show. The print media were escorted to the interview room and given a handout declaring that there was a “news embargo” on the interview and that no one could report on what was said until after airing of interview on Sunday. That proscription was roundly ignored by various members of the press.
The problem for the press was that the interview by Tapper was bland and verging on embarrassing for Tapper. There were no tough questions and no interesting information was obtained in the 20 minute interview. Prior to the taping Tapper gushed over the former President telling him how great he looked and informing him that he didn’t look a day older since he last met him over five years ago. One member of the print media whispered — “Is he planning to ask him out to a prom?”
Immediately after the CNN interview former President Clinton went next door for a live television interview with Betty Liu who was clearly somewhat in awe, but at least was more professional and obtained some interesting information, including that Clinton would probably not do paid speeches for the time his wife was President. “No, I don’t think so…because once you get to be president, then you are just making the daily story,” said Clinton. “I will still give speeches, if I’m asked to do so,” without accepting honoraria for them.”
Clinton went on to say that he believed the Republicans would choose for their candidate whomever they thought was most electable as they always seemed to do. While Ms. Liu would not get an Edward R. Murrow award for courage in journalism for her interview she clearly had a great deal more gumption than a somewhat timid Jake Tapper.
The Clinton Foundation made sure that both television interviews had audiences of Clinton admirers exclusively and who laughed and applauded on cue. If it is charged that the Clintons know how to manipulate the press to their advantage, it was on clear display at CGI America 2015.
Commitments To Action
The stated purpose of CGI America is to bring together leaders from the business, philanthropic, NGO and government sectors to come up with Commitments to Action which are to be “new, specific and measurable” to help the poorest and most vulnerable in America. The fact that CGI does not provide any money whatsoever for the poor and vulnerable but spends all of its money on administrative costs and holding conferences like CGI America Denver has brought CGI under extensive criticism. CGI in turn states that it is not its job to provide money or grants but obtain Commitments for Action from others that come to its conferences.
During the festivities former President Clinton or Chelsea would announce new Commitments to Action, some of which were arranged prior to the conference and some formulated at the conference. He or she would bring on stage the participants in a Commitment for Action for recognition and a photograph with the former president or his daughter. In the June 10 press release from the Clinton Global Initiative Press Office it asserted that CGI America 2015 had resulted in 79 new Commitments to Action which would cause to happen among other things:
- Nearly 210,000 jobs being created or filled
- More than 126,000 girls and women to be positively impacted
- More than $11.3 million of new capital invested or loaned to small and medium-sized enterprises
- More than 111,000 students will gain access to STEM education opportunities
- More than 1.2 million people will receive access to training programs
Former President Clinton personally added that because of the efforts at CGI America 2015, “more than 1.6 million people will be better off.” Some critics denigrated the press release and the President’s remark pointing out that CGI America’s jobs claim alone would constitute approximately 10 percent of all new jobs likely to be created in the United States this year. Other critics noted that the Clinton Foundation had basically made the Clintons extraordinarily financially wealthy while claiming to help the poor, and wondered whether at least some of the participants in the Commitments to Action were going to try, in fact, to emulate the Clinton family model.
But some participants scoffed at the criticisms. Gwendolyn Rodriguez from VIN, who was referenced earlier, found the conference particularly beneficial and was able to obtain commitments and partnerships from high profile attendees. “I learned a lot about the work going on to make our nation greater from the people who lead those efforts,” said Rodriguez. “Together we discussed the challenges and opportunities that exist and what we are going to do about it. I checked off a lot more than the list I came in with, so the conference was worth it for me and I will be excited to do it again next year.”
by Mark Smiley | May 26, 2015 | General Featured
Architect And Friends Of Crestmoor Present
Citizen-Initiated Plans, Design For 2.3 Acre Site
In politics or business, as in sports, a critical strategy for success is the concept of “protecting your home turf.” No one likes being manipulated into making choices that are bad for them or their neighbors. Friends of Crestmoor Park — fighting a developer seeking to build apartments on a 2.3 acre site at Cedar and Monaco — went on the offensive May 6 unveiling their own site plans for the property.
Architect Niccolo Casewit of Environment Productions, LLC, presented four alternate designs for the Crestmoor church site at 195 S. Monaco Parkway before a packed community meeting in Fisher Hall at the BMH-BJ Synagogue. Using designs made from Lego pieces flown in from the Billund, Denmark-based construction toy manufacturer’s headquarters, attendees were asked to pick their preference from the different site designs.
Metropolitan Homes, the developer who purchased the site zoned for single-family homes, originally planned to build at least 120 units on the site. Founder Peter Kudla’s latest proposal is for a three-story, 50-unit apartment complex on the northeast part of the church site plus 25 three-story townhomes facing South Locust St. and East Cedar Ave. The zoning he seeks, however, would not limit the number of units. Architect Casewit told the assembled residents that, “the zoning (S-MU3) must be stopped. We think 50 units is maximum for the site.”
Winning Site Design
The winning design chosen by attendees was a single-family model with backyard flats or carriage houses. That site design includes 13 single-family homes, five of which would have carriage houses or backyard flats for a home office or living space for an adult child or parent. The single-family homes with carriage houses would require a zoning change.
The second most popular choice was a site designed with five single-family homes plus a community garden and/or pocket park. A site design with all townhomes that would also require a zoning change was the third most popular. The clear loser was the architect’s large hybrid design that did not win a single first-place vote. It is somewhat similar to what Metropolitan Homes is proposing, showing an apartment complex plus townhomes on the site.
Each of the four models attendees voted on provided a diverse number of units that could fit on the site. The architect actually plotted all the units along with required fire lanes, open space, etc.
Showdown June 8
Friends of Crestmoor Park have shown a willingness to work with Metropolitan Homes and invited them to see the citizen-initiated designs on May 6. However on the same day — possibly under political pressure — the City scheduled a Planning Board hearing for Lowry’s Boulevard One development directly across the street and opposed by Crestmoor. As expected, the Planning Board voted 6 to 0 to approve the project’s proposed zoning changes. Friends of Crestmoor say the project is “inappropriate immediately adjacent to Crestmoor Park.”
Kudla, his lawyers and lobbyists were notably absent at the May 6 Crestmoor meeting. “We wonder why they chose not to come?” asked Friends of Crestmoor volunteer Katie McCrimmon. “Nonetheless, we are still planning to reach out to them to see if they’d like a briefing on the potential designs for the site,” she added. John Fischer of Crestmoor Filing 1, however, has since reported that he was told by a spokesperson for the developer that it doesn’t plan to meet with Crestmoor, “because they don’t plan to make any changes to their proposal.” To that Katie McCrimmon responded, “They keep telling people that they are compromising with the neighbors, but how can you compromise with the community if you refuse to meet with them or even attend a public meeting to which they’ve been invited?”
The final City Council Public Hearing and vote on the Crestmoor project is scheduled for June 8, 5:30 p.m. in Room 451 of the City & County Building, 1437 Bannock St. The last time a vote was scheduled (March) Metropolitan Homes went back to the City and engineered a last-minute delay of that hearing. The City Planning staff, however, did not accept the developer’s proposed waivers and conditions.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 27, 2015 | General Featured
Ben West Takes New York By Storm
He’s Composed 12 Concertos For The NY Philharmonic, Was In Annie On Broadway, Sang And Danced In Macy’s Parade
by Glen Richardson
One of the Cherry Creek Valley’s most promising young composers and musicians is taking New York by storm. Audiences at the prestigious Avery Fisher Hall in the Lincoln Center reveled in the latest imaginative composition by Ben West played during three New York Philharmonic concerts — two on March 4 and another on March 5 of this year. Instrumentation for the piece titled Rite of Passage includes two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets and two bassoons. Also two horns, two trumpets, a tuba and timpani (kettledrum) plus strings were incorporated.
West, a Colorado native who won’t turn 15 until this summer, is gaining a larger-than-life persona with his powerhouse pieces of music. As a multi-talented composer and musician he is proving to be a hit with multiple projects in New York and Denver, receiving rave reviews. Notably, in New York he has also appeared in the Camp Broadway production of Annie at the Palace Theatre plus singing and dancing with Kermit the Frog on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Locally he has played classical guitar with the Mile High Classical Ensemble, saxophone with the Soundhouse Funk Band plus performing as Fritz in the Nutcracker at the Vail Valley Academy.
Ben West had his first chance to participate in the Very Young Composer program at Vail in 2009, wrote Playbill — the New York magazine for theatergoers — of the youngster’s rapid rise as a gifted composer in its March issue. “Six years and 12 compositions later he is passionate about composing for classical and jazz ensembles. Ben is a musician in his own right, with 10 years of classical guitar training and six years of saxophone (Alto, Tenor and Baritone) lessons.” Of the seven young people selected to participate in the 2015 Philharmonic’s Young Composers program, West was the only non-New Yorker to have a composition selected.
Home Playground
The Chronicle first interviewed West after learning he had been asked and written music for none other than world-renowned cellist Yo Yo Ma at the Bravo Music Festival in Vail (Chronicle, Feb. 2014). The youngster, the Chronicle has learned is continuing to make a serious impact as a composer and musician after being invited to an intimate house concert in the Observatory Park neighborhood last month.
The event supporting The Playground’s new music creation and youth composition program included a special performance of West’s composition titled A Light At the End of the Tunnel initially performed by a string quartet of New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera musicians at the New York Chamber Music Festival last September. The piece was performed in the neighborhood concert here by the Playground’s string quartet consisting of Sarah Whitnah and Anna Morris, violin; Don Schumacher, viola and Richard vonFoerster, cello. They are artists-in-residence at DU’s Lamont School of Music, featuring the works of Colorado-based composers. The quartet also played Bela Bartok’s 6th, the final quartet written by Bartok (1939) before fleeing to the U.S. on the eve of World War II.
Conrad Kehn — founder of the DU-based Playground Ensemble — gave a multimedia presentation titled Evolution (Looking for God) during the home concert. Ben West takes private lessons from Kehn focusing on music theory plus classical and jazz composition mechanics. Kehn also happens to be one of two teaching artists for the New York Philharmonic’s Very Young Composers program.
Classical & Jazz Man
As a guitar man, West has performed with the Mile High Classical Ensemble plus in multiple Vail and Denver festivals. In Spain he has taken Master Classes with Roland Dyers at the Music Festival in Cardoba that each July becomes “guitar city.” Dyers is known for his extraordinary capacity for improvisation; this is unique among classical guitarists. West has also taken lessons at the Colorado Suzuki Institute and the Denver Suzuki Summit where he has studied with teachers such as Joe Pecoraro, Dave Madsen, Mir Ali, Kevin Hart, Seth Himmelhoch and Andrea Cannon.
West is the proud owner of a custom built Luthier guitar, one of perhaps 50 in Colorado. His grandparents gave the instrument to him as a bar mitzvah gift. A guitar built by a master Luthier can make the instrument feel like an extension of the musician’s hands. The late Jerry Garcia, Phish’s Trey Anastasio and Eric Clapton, play on Luthier instruments that were built for them.
As a jazz saxophonist he has performed with the Colorado Conservancy of the Jazz Arts and the Soundhouse Funk Band. West is a student at Kent Denver School known for its rich offerings in both performing and visual arts. He is a member of the Kent Denver Jazz Band. Downbeat Magazine ranks the R&B Ensemble at Kent the top high school pop, rock and blues band in the nation. Whether it is pieces of music he’s written or performances with or without a guitar or sax in hand, Valley music fans can expect to be treated to the talent of Ben West for years to come.
by Mark Smiley | Mar 27, 2015 | General Featured
by Charles C. Bonniwell
At its early spring meeting held at the Westin Hotel in downtown Denver, The Economic Club of Colorado honored the leaders of three companies known for being outstanding places to work. The Economic Club of Colorado describes itself as the leading forum in the Rocky Mountain West for world leaders in business, government and policy to meet the business leaders of the region.
The three featured panelists were: Monty Moran, co-CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants, a Denver-based fast food chain with over 1,783 restaurants worldwide; David Palmer, Denver Managing Shareholder of the international law firm of Greenberg Traurig, LLC which has 1,800 lawyers and governmental affairs professionals worldwide; and Paul Purcell, Chairman and CEO of financial services firm RW Baird, which has over 100 offices on three continents including one in Cherry Creek.
What was extraordinary concerning the panel was that the businesses in their respective industries they lead are generally known for low employee morale. Large law firms and financial service companies provide high pay but often have difficult and highly stressful work environments. Fast food restaurants in turn are known at the local level for low pay and minimum career advancement opportunities.
Palmer, who has worked as an attorney in Denver for various prestigious firms his entire professional career, emphasized that Greenberg Traurig seeks to create an atmosphere where all different types of individuals can thrive and noted that his Miami-based firm was founded on diversity and diversity is imprinted in its corporate DNA.
Moran shared that when he became co-CEO only a relatively small number of individuals who worked in a local restaurant were ever promoted to lead manager. Over time he created a policy that requires 100 percent of the local managers be hired from within so that the employees have a stake in their own future. Under the designated restaurateur program hourly crew members can become managers earning over $100,000 a year. He emphasized that simply doing your job well was not enough and Chipotle only promoted individuals who also made everyone around them better.
RW Baird, which has offices in Colorado in Cherry Creek (Denver) and Boulder, was ranked fifth in the entire country in Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in line with such nationally known firms such as Google and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Paul Purcell has headed up the company for over 21 years.
The investment advisor firm has $120 billion in client assets and Purcell is quoted in Fortune as attributing its success to one rule: “no a**holes.” That is perhaps a highly unusual rule for a company in an industry that is known for having a very high percentage of the same.
In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle Purcell expanded on why such a rule was so critical to Baird’s success. “You want your advisors concentrating on helping their clients become financially better off and not fighting and backstabbing each other. At Baird our only real product is our employees. Trust is everything in our business and very few people actually want to trust an ‘a**hole’ nor should they.”
Baird was founded in 1919 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is privately owned. Approximately two-thirds of its associates are shareholders in the company. Due to conservative investing policies and little or no debt Baird weathered the disastrous 2008 financial downturn in remarkably good shape and has grown significantly over the last five to seven years with many of its competitors downsizing or going out of business.
Purcell at age 67 has not slowed down one iota but has begun the process of gradually handing over the reins of the company to his designated successor, Steve Booth, whom he named company president at the beginning of last year.
Baird’s mission statement totals one sentence: “To provide the best financial advice and service to our clients and be the best place to work for our associates.” It is unique for an investment advisor firm to have as one of its two principle goals being “the best place to work for our associates.” However, Baird apparently takes its mission statement very seriously as evidenced by the fact that the firm was rated by Fortune magazine to be in the top five companies in the entire country to work for. Locally Baird appears to be also making a major impact and was voted this year by the Greater Glendale Chamber of Commerce to be the “Business of the Year” highlighted by the firm’s Palm Group in the private wealth management field.
For Purcell, building and preserving a unique corporate culture at RW Baird has been a driving desire and goal. Purcell was a once proud partner in the investment firm of Kidder, Peabody & Co. In the 1980s he watched as that company’s corporate culture changed after its acquisition of General Electric in 1986. The culminating event occurred in 1987 when its star banker Marty Siegel became the center of the Ivan Boesky scandal and the firm paying $26 million in fines as part of settlement with then-U.S. attorney Rudy Giuliani. Purcell left the firm when he felt he could not save it from itself.
“Once you have watched something special be destroyed and lost, you treasure it all the more. You also realize that your goal is never totally achieved. What you have built can be wasted in a relatively short period of time unless you remain aware and appreciative of what you have and ever vigilant not to let it diminish,” Purcell noted.
Purcell is also very much a believer in the parable from Luke that “for unto whomever much is given, of him shall much be required.” He is a major contributor to charities in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in Chicago, Illinois, where he resides. He sits on a myriad eleemosynary boards from Discovery World to the United Performing Arts Fund. Purcell requires that wherever the company does business it gives back to the community in a major and important fashion.
Regarding RW Baird’s plans in Colorado, Purcell sees the Denver/Boulder market as one of the true hubs for the company in the western United States along with Austin, Texas; Seattle, Washington; and San Francisco, California. He also notes that some of the company’s top talent is joining the Cherry Creek office for many of differing reasons. Purcell concluded that Baird’s Cherry Creek office is growing at an extraordinary rate. But growth in and of itself has never been a goal of Baird, according to Purcell. Rather as the mission statement states it is “to provide the best financial advice and service to our clients” and those are not simply words but a true calling as is RW Baird’s commitment to its employees.
