P+P: What keeps you up at night?
JS: I am concerned about the future of the company, not as much for the problems in the industry but from the standpoint of having good people involved in our company to keep us solid in the marketplace and also being [able] to recognize good opportunities when they pop up. We too often are in the backside of opportunities rather than recognizing cutting-edge opportunities as they arise.
P+P: What do you think is the most exciting, cutting-edge thing your company is doing right now? Why?
JS: I would say we do not have too many “cutting-edge” things in the works at this time, but we do have a lot of good business opportunities that we have so far been able to take advantage of. We have been able to procure a significant amount of business through the technology that we now have in place. We spend a lot of our time and effort in automating our online offerings for our customers and prospects.
P+P: What would people be surprised to learn about you?
JS: I am a very simple person with most of my downtime being spent with my wife and family. I am involved in a few nonprofit entities, including an inner-city ministry, the ALS Association and my church. I am a sports fan, but not radical. My wife and I love traveling, having traveled to all 50 states, to five of the Canadian provinces, to Central America, to Europe and to Australia. We spend a lot of time with our two daughters, their husbands and our four grandsons. Most years we take a family vacation with all of us going to a beach, a theme park or snow skiing. Those things make my life very fulfilled.
- People:
- Jerry Spears