Photo by Christina VanHorn,
UNH Human Resources
Challenges. Competition. Hurdles. Dares. BRING 'EM ON!!
To watch Gary Armitage as he walks through the New England Center or during conversation with members of his staff you might get the impression of a man who has a lot to do and a short time to get it done. In part, you'd be correct.
Gary began his career at UNH in 1990 as the General Manager of the New England Center, a position he still holds. "Marriott was asked to look at the New England Center. I was to be the Marriott Manager. Jim Varn dared me to come to work here as a UNH employee. I accepted his challenge!" Gary states.
The challenge was never greater than following the tragedy of 9/11 and the successes never so sweet. "By far the most memorable event in my career at UNH was the response of the NEC team to the events following 9/11 which were to have a very immediate and direct impact on us," said Gary. "Within hours of the disaster, cancellations for upcoming meetings and events started coming in at a rate of $25,000 a day. It didn't take long before we all realized that we were joined in a battle for our business survival. We got great support from David May, Anthony Zizos and Candace Corvey. The NEC Team decided on a 'failure is not an option stance' from the start and everyone did everything they could to get us through. Our team worked smart and worked hard. They sacrificed by working long hours or giving up hours. We were in this together! It turned out to be the worst year financially in the history of the Hospitality and Travel Industry. But fortunately, not for us…. It gives me great pride to say we had one of the best financial results in the Center's history! I am so honored to be part of this dedicated team! One executive from a hospitality accounting firm observed to me, 'You guys made one of the best recoveries in the entire [Conference Center] Industry!' It's a great comeback story and my words really don't do it justice. For the rest of my life, I'll remember that year both for the WTC disaster and for the remarkable comeback by the NEC staff."
What are some of the skills required to manage a full service conference center, hotel and restaurant that does $6,000,000 per year in sales and employs roughly 140 people on a full and part-time basis, in addition to coordinating the Hospitality Program learning laboratories with the Whittemore School? "Leadership, strategic planning, people skills, financial management and a sense of humor!" says Gary. The "sense of humor" has also made him a hit as one of the emcees at the past two PAT Recognition Programs. "The entrepreneurial aspects of running the Center are extremely satisfying to me," Gary states. "We compete against major brand competitors and we are clearly the underdog. Working with the NEC Team and succeeding despite this competition is immensely satisfying. I also enjoy working with the Hospitality faculty and students. The research and development projects we are doing with them are both exciting and rewarding."
When asked what he enjoys most about working at the University, Gary responds, "The recent spirit of collaboration that is really taking hold on campus and helping us to leverage assets to accomplish more with less. We work with the Browne Center, Channel 11, Rec. Management, Athletics, Printing Services, other divisions of UHS, and Human Resources to make our products more enticing to outside users. I believe we all will accomplish much more by this synergy. Working with the Browne Center showed us what is possible when departments combine resources. We are currently expanding our UNH "Network" with great success. I really enjoy the New England Center work culture. The entire team is always trying out new ideas and exploring opportunities. There is never a dull moment!"
Between his responsibilities at UNH and raising five children (with his wife, Stephanie) there truly is "never a dull moment" with Gary Armitage.