In my job as Executive Director of the Amherst Business Improvement District, I have had the pleasure to work with a number of exceptional individuals. I thought I would take a few blog posts and shower some of them with compliments. The obvious choice to lead off this series is the president of the BID’s board, Barry Roberts.
Barry is an Amherst native, and now owns more property downtown than any other private property owner. He has two passions that I’ve observed: draft horses and making downtown Amherst the best it can be. He is one of the best landlords in town, due to his quick response to maintenance requests and his strong community spirit. He also provides one of the most sought-after kids’ activities for events, his horse-drawn carriage rides such as pictured here at the 2012 Celebrate Amherst Block Party. In general, his demeanor is to-the-point, authentic New England, and quick to laugh. He is an asset to this community and it has been a pleasure to work for him.
I just want to get out in the open that a lot of people think posting things about your job (especially people you work with) is inappropriate when you’re leaving it. I’m very aware of this, and considered it a lot before starting this series. I feel that the very positive sentiments I’m expressing (with no subtext beyond just wanting to recognize great people) bypass any real need for this. I am a connector, and that is all about wanting to share how great others are. I plan for this to be a long series with many different kinds of people profiled. Hope you appreciate it.