View: Sharing Success - Berks County Living - September 2012 - Berks Cou...

BY KRISTIN BOYD | PHOTOS BY TANIA COLAMARINO, AMA PHOTOGRAPHY

MELISSA VALLETTA | FRASER ADVANCED INFORMATION SYSTEMS

When Melissa Valletta recently had lunch with her first mentor, John Saunders, she was reminded of the influence his advice continues to have on her professional accomplishments.

Valletta was named Rookie of the Year at the start of her career in copier sales, and today, she is the general sales manager at Fraser Advanced Information Systems, where she oversees the company’s four office locations in Reading, Harrisburg, Bala Cynwyd and the Lehigh Valley.

“Working with him was a huge learning experience,” she says. “His advice was 'if you come to work at 8am, ready to work, and you’re focused on talking to people, not selling to them, you’ll do great.' And he was right. Hard work pays off.”

Valletta initially thought selling copiers would be a holdover job after earning a marketing degree. “Now, 20 years later,” she says, pausing to laugh, “I feel like I grew up with the business. I love the people. A lot of the people here now were here the day I started at Fraser. They have such pride in the company.”

“I love it here because this is the kind of company where your input matters,” adds Valletta, who created a formal mentoring program for Fraser employees in April. “It’s very team oriented, and you can have an impact.”

In the program, new employees are paired with longtime employees, who often demonstrate the skills necessary to succeed at Fraser, can make newbies feel comfortable and can share business advice.

“We want people to grow here. A mentor helps them do that. Having a mentor boosts productivity, and I think it helps the mentor work harder because [he or she] knows that someone is watching them and learning from them. It’s a win-win for everyone,” she says.

Valletta is hands-on with the program, even volunteering to mentor Christy Coy, a new employee at Fraser. “A new job can be intimidating, but she made me feel comfortable and was patient with me,” Coy says. “She’s given me advice. She’s nurturing, but she challenges me to always do a good job. I look up to her, and I really want to make her proud. I’m grateful that she is my mentor.”

“Hearing that – that’s what makes me get out of bed every morning,” says Valletta, a fitness buff and single mother of two, 14-year-old Matthew and 12-year-old Lauren.  “That’s what makes it worth it.”

Valletta is also proud of how Fraser, as a small, local company, continually gives back to the community. The company has sponsored and printed flyers for nonprofit events. “We all live where we work, so it’s important to be involved,” she says.

BRITTANY MARTIN | ALCON RESEARCH, LTD.

In the Saint Bernard parish of New Orleans, water marks and vacant, boarded up homes are a constant reminder of the damage caused by hurricane Katrina seven years ago.

For Brittany Martin, who visited the area last year on a mission trip and helped to rebuild an elderly resident’s home, the scene was unreal.

“It’s one of those things that’s really hard to see because these people had gone through such a hard time,” she says. “I was definitely glad to help. It’s one of the things I believe in. It’s important to help other people, if you have the ability to.”

After noticing Martin’s willingness to give back, her manager at  Alcon Research, Ltd. in Sinking Spring nominated her to participate in the United Way’s 2011 Loaned Specialist Program. “It is an awesome opportunity,” she says. “It gives you the ability to find your strengths and weaknesses, get out of your comfort zone, speak in front of people, get over your fears and meet new people. You grow so much as a person.”  

The Loaned Specialist Program allows local organizations and companies to provide United Way with their employees, who then assist with the organization’s annual campaign effort from mid-September through mid-December, explains Jean Marrow, Senior Vice President, Resource Development and Major Gifts for United Way.

Volunteers such as Martin visit area businesses, describe how the United Way benefits the community and encourage employees to donate their time or money. “They are really our ambassadors throughout the campaign. They are sharing our Live United message and sharing the importance of the United Way,” Marrow says. “[Brittany] was so excited to be involved. She was enthusiastic. She put together a really compelling story and message. She did a fabulous job of energizing and motivating people wherever she went. We had really great feedback about her.”

Martin, a manufacturing operator at Alcon and a senior at Penn State–Schuylkill Campus, says learning about the United Way was eye-opening. “I didn’t know about the organizations [helped by United Way],” she says. “The more I knew, the more I wanted to share. It really encouraged me. These organizations are helping people throughout Berks County.”

Through the program, Martin visited nearly 25 area businesses, where she gave extensive presentations about the United Way and its mission. She often spoke about Threshold Rehabilitation Services, which she learned about during her two-week training session. The non-profit organization provides employment and training for residents experiencing mental, physical, developmental and emotional challenges.

“It was awesome to see these people who have this setback make an income and have something to do on a daily basis because that is what is going to keep them going and keep their [minds] sharp,” says Martin, whose sister-in-law has a form of mental retardation. “It was really neat to see the organization up close and personal.”

Martin, who lives in Washington Township with her husband, Andrew, is looking forward to again participating in the Loaned Specialist Program this year and possibly embarking on other mission trips, something she has done since she was a tween. “You never know what someone’s situation was or what it currently is, unless you take the time to see,” she says. “My biggest reason I give back is [because of] my belief and my faith as a Christian. We have to continue to help other people.”

ERIC SAVAGE | FREEDOM AUTO GROUP

Glistening in the afternoon sunlight, the showroom floor at Freedom Toyota in hamburg is decorated in red, white and blue for the 4th of July holiday.

Dozens of customers peer into cars lined up like rows of dominoes, while employees buzz around, carrying laptops and contracts.

It’s a beehive of activity, and owner Eric Savage sits at the center of it all. Hunched over the speaker phone in his corner office, he’s wheeling and dealing for the best possible savings. “I’m a car guy,” he says after hanging up and slipping back into his chair. “I’m the third generation in this business.”

A Holy Name graduate, Savage initially studied biology at Villanova University. He sold cars at his father’s business, Savage Hyundai in Shillington, during the summer and on holidays and weekends. “It was fun. I met a lot of different people,” he says. “There was always some obstacle, and I really enjoy overcoming obstacles.”

At the end of his sophomore year, while waiting for his organic chemistry class to begin, he picked up a nearby pay phone to check on the status of a car sale. “I missed the entire class,” he says, laughing. “I talked the entire hour. That become a pivotal moment for me, and I decided to stay in the business.”

Savage branched out in 2006 and created Freedom Auto Group, which now has three area dealerships. He loves selling cars, but a framed picture of his Kiss-A-Pig win in 2007, which rests on the floor behind his desk, reveals his other job: giving back to the community.

“My day is punctuated by non-profit meetings,” he says. “I would give all the blood in my body for Olivet Boys and Girls Club. I’m so passionate about it.”

Savage has served on Olivet’s board of directors for more than 10 years. He is also actively involved with the John Paul II Center for Special Learning and Berks Encore, particularly the organization’s Meals on Wheels program, which delivers food to elderly residents.

Earlier this year, he served as a “celebrity” Meals on Wheels driver, and he worked with the Olivets to have children create 700 custom placemats for the seniors. “It was just so cool,” Savage says. “There were rainbows and unicorns, and each placemat had the senior’s name on it. They were so happy that someone thought of them. That’s the best part; that’s the connection.”  During his down time, Savage enjoys spending time with his wife, Jeannie, and their children, Gabriel, 13, and Gigi, 7. A modern-day Renaissance man, he’s also a licensed pilot, a competitive Scrabble player and a pianist who enjoys classical music.

One of his proudest accomplishments, though, is fostering an environment of giving at Freedom Auto Group. “I get more excited about my non-profit work than about the car business,” Savage says. “I don’t want my eulogy to say 'he was good at crossing off things on his task list.' I want it to say 'he put people first.' That’s what I’m really about; that’s what [Freedom Auto Group] is really about – putting people first. Altruism is in our DNA here.”

CRAIG AND VIRGINIA DODGE |  VA PRODUCTIONS

Her niece, Lydia, then 2, frolicked about, her tummy poking out of her bathing suit, her smile stretching from ear to ear. “She looked adorable,” Dodge recalls fondly.

Several months later, Lydia was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a tumor that develops from nerve tissue, and Virginia, along with her husband, Craig, were among those tapped to help raise money and awareness about the rare childhood cancer. The couple had long donated to causes and non-profits, but with Lydia, their philanthropy suddenly became personal.

“When my niece got sick, we knew we wanted to do something more than sitting down and writing a check. In the end, it was the process of raising money and giving back that felt so meaningful. I loved the detail and the creativity and being hands on with the fundraiser. It gave us a personal connection,” Virginia says.

Sadly, Lydia passed away shortly after the fundraiser that gave new meaning to the Dodges’ charitable acts. The owners of VA Productions, based in Cumru Township, the couple says their contributions to the community are now rooted in personal connections.

The Dodges, who share a love of arts, entertainment and theater, have created two funds, including one based on Virginia’s high school days as a drum major. Offered through the Reading Musical Foundation, the scholarship sends area students to an elite, week-long drum major camp at West Chester University each summer. The second fund, established at the Berks County Community Foundation, has donated $125,000 to various area organizations during the past 10 years, Virginia says.

“The deeper you get into these organizations and understand what they do, the more it affects you. It makes me feel more and more passionate. The more I do, the more I want to do. It’s the best feeling in the world,” says Virginia, a former president of the Rotary Club of Reading.

In addition, Virginia won the Olivet Boys and Girls Club’s 2012 Kiss-A-Pig fundraiser by raising more than $63,000 for children in need, and she formed “Gifts that Give Back,” a program in which she makes and sells jewelry, with a percentage of the proceeds donated to charity.

In their free time, the couple enjoys traveling, particularly taking cruises. Still, as Virginia explains, their perfect Saturday night is attending a silent auction for area non-profits, knowing that their winning bids will directly impact the community. “It’s about making that connection,” she says. “Once that happens I don’t how you step back and not help.”