Scarsdale Author Bill Doescher’s Dear Folks: Essays and Insights from a Public Relations Leader
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Bill Doescher and Traci Dutton Ludwig at StarbucksEveryone has a story to tell – or in the case of Bill Doescher, 41 stories.
Weaving memories into stories, Doescher has just launched a richly recounted memoir – Dear Folks: Essays and Insights from a Public Relations Leader – that was celebrated by a book-signing event at the Scarsdale train station Starbucks last Wednesday, Feb. 27.
The venue was an appropriate location for the signing because Doescher and his editor Traci Dutton Ludwig often met to discuss chapters at that Starbucks. “For about a year, we became regular features at Bill’s favorite table by the window. We’d bring a laptop and work there like it was a satellite office,” Dutton Ludwig said. “Since [Manager] Annie, [resident photographer and barista] Mark and the entire wonderful Starbucks team generously shared in the excitement of our project, we were delighted to come full circle and celebrate the finished book there. It felt like coming home.”
Dear Folks is a book for everybody. It provides sound lessons and strong insights culled from a career and life that took Doescher from a sportswriting job at a regional Binghamton, NY, newspaper to top communications positions with blue-chip companies in North Carolina and Manhattan. Its conversational narrative style resonates with personal experiences uniquely connected to Doescher’s roots in Utica, NY, his education at Colgate University and Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, his esteemed career in the public relations field, his dedicated service to Jackie Robinson Foundation, his exemplary volunteerism as a 40-year-long resident of Scarsdale, NY, his commitment to his church, his passion for golf and other sports, and his role as a husband, father and grandfather.
With a title inspired by the “Dear Folks” salutation used in the weekly family letters written by Doescher’s father and grandfather, the book’s episodic narratives are entertaining and thought-provoking. They appeal to various niche audiences as well as to anyone looking for a good read.
In his professional career of more than 50 years, Doescher has been recognized as an energetic public relations leader who saw the industry grow up with him. Two chapters, in particular, survey the field of PR from Doescher’s point of view. One involves the need for authentic and meaningful diversity within the PR industry, and the other projects how the PR profession will change as it adapts to 21C parameters. These chapters, and others, vividly portray Doescher’s talents for clear thinking, insightful observation, anticipating outcomes and developing sensible philosophies. All are personal qualities that, indeed, helped Doescher succeed in his career.
Highlights of the book are many – some expected, some surprises. While the Vice President of Advertising & Public Relations at Drexel Heritage Furnishings, Doescher recommended and supervised the company’s sponsorship of a PGA golf tournament, the Heritage Golf Classic, on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Later, Doescher’s longest corporate communications role was with Dun & Bradstreet, where for 22 years, he held increasingly responsible positions, including senior vice president & chief communications officer and publisher of D&B Reports magazine. As a former president of both the PRSA Foundation and PRSA-NY, Doescher received well-deserved leadership recognition. In 2014, he was awarded the prestigious John W. Hill Award by PRSA-NY.
In the book’s foreword, editor Dutton Ludwig remarked, “Bill’s stories demonstrate the value of engaging life with authenticity, curiosity and resolve.” She further observes that Doescher is a natural storyteller with the ability to always find the right story, at the right moment, for the right audience.
“People love the way Bill is able to share himself and his experiences through his stories. I saw that firsthand when people would stop by and chat while we were working together in Starbucks last year. Bill’s stories immediately connected with them, and they’d absolutely light up as listeners,” Dutton Ludwig said. “This same quality comes across in the book. There are many takeaways in the book, many delicious bites of wisdom to inspire reflection and thought. Since Dear Folks is equally about Bill’s life and career, it feels very whole and very real.”
Addressing Doescher’s professional acumen in the field of public relations, Maria Russell, a professor of public relations at Newhouse, was quoted in the foreword: “Bill was never content with the status quo. Like others who preceded him in PR, Bill was and is a pioneer in almost everything he does.” Whether teaching investor relations at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, advising CEOs, publishing a magazine, managing corporate communications departments during changing times, or mentoring students and colleagues, Doescher has always been “a counselor’s counsel.”
This description rings true, even in chapters outside Doescher’s professional career. We see the glimpses of the future man in boyhood stories about Doescher watching his father save neighbors’ lives from an assailant and later about Doescher taking care of his mother’s old classic car, as well as stories about his Aunt Elsie’s belief in him, his lifelong friendships with “The Utica Boys,” and his tenacity and determination to get into graduate school despite a less-than-perfect undergraduate GPA.
According to Dutton Ludwig, “Although Dear Folks is Doescher’s first book, its richness of detail makes it feel as if Doescher has been writing it his entire life. The author’s voice is immediate and authentic, and the lessons conveyed by storytelling are generous, personable, humorous and wise.”
Published by PR Museum Press and released in January 2019, copies of Dear Folks: Essays and Insights from a Public Relations Leader can be ordered online from Barnes & Noble (bn.com) and Amazon (amazon.com). The book will also be available at additional local Dear Folks events, forthcoming in the spring and summer.
Scarsdale Mourns Sue Neale
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Carol Sue Higgins Neale, born December 21, 1938 in Orange, Virginia and died February 19, 2019 at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, after battling pneumonia complicated by a blood disorder. Sue was a devoted and loving wife, mother, and soon-to-be grandmother, and had a broad network of friends from her many years of community involvement and public service in Westchester County.
Sue lived in Scarsdale, around the corner from Edgewood School, for over 40 years. She attended Radford College in Radford, Virginia and finished her degree at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. Sue began her career in Washington DC working in the Justice Department from 1961 - 1965, and the West Wing of the White House in the final years of the Lyndon Johnson administration. In 1969 she moved to New York City to work for the Wagner Commission on local government, and soon after met her husband Henry to whom she was married for 47 years.
After leaving the workforce to raise her children, she returned to public service and spent the final decade of her career managing the office of New York State Assemblywoman Audrey Hochberg. She was forever giving back to her community and was involved in many volunteer organizations and local political groups, including 25 years of service for the Scarsdale and Westchester public libraries.
Although Sue grew up in the country and always had an affinity for rural life, New York was her adopted city, and she was constantly drawn to its arts and culture. Sue loved playing mah jongg, spending time at her country home in the Hudson Valley, the NY Times crossword puzzle, and participation in her book club for over 30 years. Sue was smart, funny, and always had an opinion to share.
She is survived by her husband Henry, her son David, her daughter Laura, and five brothers and sisters. Friends will be received at Bennett Funeral in Scarsdale on Friday the 22nd from 4:00 PM – 8:00PM, and a service will be held at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Scarsdale at 11:00AM Saturday the 23rd.
Here are tributes to Sue from local friends and leaders:
Assemblywoman Amy Paulin
“You couldn’t be around Sue Neale and not smile. The two things that always stood out to me about her were her dry sense of humor, and her passionate and generous spirit. May her memory be a blessing to Henry, her children, and all those in Scarsdale and Westchester County who benefited from her many years of dedicated volunteerism.”
Neighbor Tim Foley
Sue and Henry were among the first people I met when my family and I moved to Scarsdale years ago. What a great introduction to Scarsdale Sue proved to be! She was unfailing kind, always asking after my children, and always prepared to tell it like it is with a wink and a smile. With her years of service, particularly with the Scarsdale Democrats and with the Westchester Library Board, our community was unquestionably made better by her efforts.
Mark Lewis Chair, Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee
Sue Neale served for many years as a district leader for the Scarsdale Democratic Town Committee. She devoted herself to helping the community and county in which she lived and fought to have the best candidates the Democratic Party could put up both on the local, state and national level. Whenever the Committee needed help, Sue was there volunteering her time and effort. When I would ask for guidance, Sue always took the time to talk and advise me. She will be missed as a district leader and a friend.
Ben Boykin, Chairman of the Westchester County Board of Legislators and 5th District Legislator
“Sue was a wonderful individual who will be missed by all of us. I enjoyed the time that I spent talking with her on various issues. She loved the rural life but was very comfortable with the city and suburbs and the cultural and arts offerings. Sue dedicated her life to public service helping others. This is a great loss for her family and friends and for the people of Westchester County.”
Congressman Eliot Engel
"Our progressive light shines less brightly today with the loss of Sue Neale. Sue’s contributions over her more than half-century of work with Democratic candidates and elected officials is immeasurable. There is not a Democratic candidate serving the Scarsdale area whose campaign was not enhanced by Sue’s efforts and tireless support. We could always count on Sue to tell it to us straight; she was never afraid to tell us exactly what she thought and how we could be better. I send my deepest condolences to her husband, Henry, and their children. May her memory and the good work she has done be a blessing."
Friend Terry Singer
Sue and I connected through a Scarsdale Adult School class, where we shared a mah jongg table 4 years ago and played together since then in a weekly game. Conversations with Sue were always lively, we often spoke about politics, family, her home upstate, and just about everything including her love of libraries. Sue had a unique wit, and a warm, wonderful sense of humor that will be remembered by her friends.
A Lively Week of Paddle at Fox Meadow Tennis Club
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The balls were flying at Fox Meadow Tennis Club this week where two annual events brought out paddle enthusiasts for great competition, food and fun.
On Wednesday February 6, the theme of the member guest tournament was “Rumble in the Jungle” and beasts and their guests were instructed to wear animals prints, furs and skins. The clubhouse was awash in monkeys and wild animals, monkeys howled from the speakers and members were greeted by a life-sized gorilla. Each player was given a fur animal print neck roll and the competition was fierce. Congrats to Nanette Koryn and Robin Aisenman for a top-flight event, and to tournament winners Robin Aisenman and Kathy McMahon, and consolation draw winners Gretchen Reuter and Jani Mason.
On Saturday February 2 the club hosted “The Vixen,” their version of an adult color war where 24 players were broken into teams of six and competed to win the most games. Colorful drinks, cookies, balloons and hats made for a rainbow of fun. The event was presented by Gail Behar, Tammy Fine, Jill Fisher and Diane Loft. Congrats to gold team winners Gail Behar, Diane Loft, Wendie Kroll, Ping Klein, Gretchen Reuter and Bella Dalton.
Scarsdale Agrees to Be Plaintiffs in Legal Challenge to IRS Rules Regarding Deductibility of Charitable Gift Reserves
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State Assmeblywoman and Scarsdale resident Amy PaulinScarsdale made history on Tuesday night February 13, 2019 when the Village signed on as a plaintiff in a lawsuit to challenge IRS rules regarding the deductibility of state and local taxes in charitable gift reserves.Trustees voted yes to join a lawsuit that, if successful, could help states beleaguered by the new SALT provisions to recoup most of their lost tax revenues.
State Assemblywoman Amy Paulin is leading the charge to contest these rules which deny residents the right to pay into a charitable gift reserve and deduct local taxes from their federal tax returns. As Paulin explained at the meeting, “The US Congress decided to limit SALT deduction last December. At the time group of tax professors from around the country wrote a white paper about what they believed could be done if SALT was adopted. One of the options was establishing a charitable fund and we folded that proposal into the state budget, along with New Jersey and Connecticut. Dan Hemel, an SHS grad now at the University of Chicago was one of the authors of that white paper.”
She continued, “Scarsdale established a charitable fund along with Rye and Rye Brook. However the IRS came out with rules that created a chilling effect. Assemblyman David Buchwald and I brought a group of local leaders together and wrote comments on these IRS rules and regulations. We are still awaiting the final regulations. When they come out, we want to be in a position to challenge them. The best plaintiffs are towns that have already formed charitable trusts like Scarsdale and Rye. The state stands to lose $2.3 billion in local taxes. The potential harm to our communities is great.”
Why Scarsdale? The resolution says, “The implementation of these regulations as drafted would harm Scarsdale residents who have already made donations or who might seek to make donations in the future to the charitable gift reserve fund, and would directly harm the ability of the charitable gift reserve fund in its capital raising efforts as envisioned under New York State law.”
Paulin said, “Scarsdale will be taking an action to protect our residents. The liability to the village is nothing. We have formed a 501C4 to assume the liability.” She explained that tax attorneys from Baker and McKenzie of Chicago, Illinois would draft the papers pro bono and no work by the Village would be required.
The resolution before the board was to execute an engagement letter to provide no cost legal services in connection with participation as a plaintiff in challenging internal revenue service charitable gift reserve fund regulations.
Not everyone agreed that this was a good move for Scarsdale. During public comments Bob Berg discussed his concerns that the Village would be open to liability and ridicule and that meetings about the suit were held behind closed doors. He said, “Amy has convinced the BOT that joining this lawsuit is wise. … The discussions were not held publicly…. This puts the good name of Scarsdale in jeopardy. Can you imagine the scorn we will face? The pundits will drag our good name through the mud. She says the 501c4 will pay the legal fees of this litigation. Baker and McKenzie is one of the world’s largest law firms in the country. This will cost more than $1,000,000… The 501 c4 is headed in Scarsdale in Amy’s house. It’s a dark money political action committee. The odor of rotting fish is getting stronger. The red flags are wild – they mean danger.”
Anne Hintermeister of Chase Road agreed. She said, “What happens if we can’t cover the law firms fees? We need more information on this. Who is going to direct the litigation? Does the village have standing to challenge tax regulations?”
Bob Selvaggio of Rochambeau Road argued for a legislative solution and questioned the logic of deductible charitable funds. He said, “The only way to restore SALT deduction is to convince our legislators. The government that touches us most is our municipal government. Scarsdale should have first dibs on our taxes, followed by the state, and then the country. Few of us ask much of the federal government. President Trump should tighten his own belt so we can pursue our own happiness….Few of our state dollars are returned to our schools. Our tax payments are not charitable contributions. This only subjects us to ridicule. They are other avenues to pursue. Empty nesters could argue that there is no quid pro quo – and they should be able to deduct school taxes as charitable deductions. We need to convince senate house and legislators that we need our local deductions.”
Paulin responded to these objections. To Selvaggio’s call to overturn SALT, she said, “Good luck convincing the federal government. Though I hope one day it will get overturned I am not holding my breath. Once you give the money away its hard to get it back. It is going to be hard to reverse SALT. The President rejected Governor Cuomo’s effort to reverse SALT. The Republican Party is not in favor of reversing SALT. I believe the charitable deductions are the best way to mitigate the effects.”
She also explained that there was precedent, saying “There are already active programs across states for parochial schools that allow tax deductions. This is historical – and these arguments will be made. The IRS ruled that all of the tax programs – including all of the existing ones in many states -- are not valid either! It affected so many people – thousands of children. They pleaded with the IRS to reverse their position. If we’re not in the lawsuit, there could be a carve out that doesn’t affect us.”
“So I applaud the Village for being involved – I think this is the right thing to do – we are going to work together to make this the best effort we can going forward.”
Before the voting, Trustees shared their thoughts:
Trustee Justin Arest said, “This is an extension of acts already taken by this government …We can and should do this – we created a charitable fund. This is not a scheme that we are creating on our own. …This is not our only option – but this is our best option now. These tax changes were having a negative effect on our homeowners. It is not about partisan politics – it is what I can do as a trustee to fight for Scarsdale residents.” He voted Aye.
Trustee Matt Callaghan was the sole objector, saying “This represents an unacceptable risk. What happens if the funding stops? Who is going to monitor the activity of this fund and set timelines and milestones? Not many people in Westchester are involved in this. Consider the current political atmosphere in the nation. I vote No – “
Trustee Lena Crandall thanked Palin for the “great effort to protect local residents.” She voted yes.
Trustee Carl Finger said, “The agreement is clear – we have nothing to do with the funding. We will receive appropriate reports. I vote Aye.”
Trustee Seth Ross also thanked Paulin for her leadership and said, “We have an opportunity and responsibility to vindicate those rights. No funds are to be committed. I vote Aye.”
Trustee Jane Veron assured the public that there would be no liability to the village. She said, “We had the opportunity to speak with counsel. And we have no financial risk. We didn’t take decision lightly. We believe it is our duty to protect our residents and I vote Aye.”
Casting the last vote in favor of the resolution, Mayor Dan Hochvert said, “It is okay to take risk when we have so much to gain. Most will not see anything but an effort. I vote aye.”
The resolution passed by a vote of 6-1.
SignUp for Food Scrap Recycling and Receive a Free Cookie at Cooked & Co.
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Scarsdale’s #ZeroWasteAllLove Campaign calls on residents to recycle food scraps in the month of February, connecting compost, cupid and surprisingly, cookies.
What do cookies have in common with composting? Well, quite a lot if you stop by Cooked & Co. Monday through Wednesday, February 11th, 12th and 13th from 11 am – 2 pm, where residents can register for the Scarsdale Food Scrap Recycling Program and receive a Cooked & Co’s signature “compost cookie” – an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink sweet and salty, chewy and gooey treat.
During the month of February, the Scarsdale Conservation Advisory Council is wooing residents to take on zero waste practices and join the 1,000+ Scarsdale homes that participate in Scarsdale’s Food Scraps Recycling program. Thanks to the Village’s new curbside pickup service, compostable food scraps are no longer destined for the garbage!
Residents can also register for the Scarsdale Food Scrap Recycling Program and curbside pickup service online here or by sending an email to composting@scarsdale.com.
Cupid’s message is clear: #ZeroWasteAllLove.
Cooked & Co. is located at 128 Garth Road, Scarsdale, NY.
For more information about the Food Scrap Recycling program email composting@scarsdale.com.
