History

A short history of the Family Firm Institute - Pittsburgh The Barbara Hollander Chapter

Among the seven founding directors of the Family Firm Institute national organization in 1984 were two Pittsburghers, Barbara Hollander, Ph.D. and Aaron Levinson, Chairman of Levinson Steel. Barbara Hollander had earned her doctorate in 1983 in a self-designed program combining management and family therapy and was a family firm consultant. She was elected the first president of FFI.

On the local level, Barbara worked tirelessly to help focus attention on the unique qualities of family businesses. She was a popular speaker as part of a Pittsburgh National Bank Trust Department seminar series assisted by Thomas B. Smith, CFP, who at that time was a Vice President in the Trust Department.

Other speaking engagements and client work built a group of interested business owners and professionals. Slowly the informal meetings of that group came to be characterized as the Family Firm Roundtable with Robert B. Williams, Esq. of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellott and James C. Williams of Muhlenkamp & Company, Inc. actively helping Barbara. Speakers from 1987 through 1990 included Marshall Katz, Chairman and CEO, Papercraft; Aaron Levinson; Barry Sheer of Fort Pitt Consolidators; Arthur J. Rooney II, Esq., Pittsburgh Steelers; Mike Daniel, Esq., Buchanan Ingersoll; Mark Wolk, CPA; Bob Williams; Paul Matvey, CPA, Schneider Downs and, of course, Dr. Barbara Hollander.

Toward the late 1980’s Cynthia Iannarelli, a business owner and Ph.D. candidate in the Pitt Business School began helping Barbara with the Roundtable and academic pursuits. The Roundtable meetings were held at Eckert Seamans, Pitt, The Concordia Club, Buchanan Ingersoll, Schneider Downs and Kaufmann’s. Local membership in FFI national continued to grow through these and other efforts of Barbara.

Periodically there was talk of developing a smaller study group patterned after ones that were being discussed in FFI circles around the country. On October 1, 1990 Richard C. Snebold, Jr.., CLU, of Gateway-Penn Financial Services/Penn Mutual hosted a dinner in the conference room of his firm cosponsored by Barbara and David A. Heitzenroder, CPA, LUTCF of Rosewood Capital Partners to found an FFI-Pittsburgh Study Group.

Barbara Hollander selected and recruited the members who were invited. They were James M. Dugan, CPA, Dugan Miller & Guthrie; Stephen Smith, Marblehead Associates; Joseph D.C. Wilson, III, CPA; Ann Begler, Esq., Begler, DeMarco & Ombres; Bob Williams; Cindy Iannarelli; Tony Buzzelli, CPA, Deloitte & Touche (later replaced by Dennis DeLuca, CPA); Wendi Bukowitz, MBA; Tom Smith; Richard Snebold and Dave Heitzenroder.

The study group has met on a monthly basis since then with several additional members being added over the years. Through the continuing efforts of Barbara Hollander and the Study Group members to recruit FFI national members the thought began developing of starting a Pittsburgh Chapter. Bob Williams was the strongest proponent of this idea.

By this time, Cindy Iannarelli was on the FFI Board and Edward D. Wachter, Jr., Esq., of McCann, Garland, Ridall & Burke was General Counsel to the Board. About this same time Rod Correll, FFI Executive Director and Dirk Dreux, FFI Organization Membership Chair were working to build corporate memberships in FFI.

Barbara Hollander arranged for them to come to Pittsburgh and through her encouragement Rich Snebold, assisted by Dave Heitzenroder, hosted another dinner, this time at the Duquesne Club on Monday, January 15, 1991. A total of 29 people attended. The invitation list consisted of primarily 62 FFI members locally plus clients and professionals suggested by Barbara, Rich and Dave.

Featured on the agenda was discussion of development of the field and FFI’s role in that development. One of the major outcomes of the discussion was the desire on the part of the Pittsburgh people to have an active FFI chapter to bring together the business owners, professionals and academics committed to the family firm. Barbara Hollander and a small planning group agreed to begin work toward that goal.

Once again, Rich Snebold hosted a meeting with Barbara and Dave, a breakfast on September 26, 1991 at Highland Country Club. The 12 people attending laid the groundwork for the formation of a chapter and scheduled an organization meeting for December 9, 1991 in the offices of Gateway-Penn Financial Services. Dave Heitzenroder served as secretary of these and the subsequent meetings throughout the winter and spring of 1992.

Chapter night was Monday, May 11, 1992 with 88 attendees packed into a Duquesne Club dining room. Bob Williams was elected chair; Barbara Hollander, Vice Chair; Rona Nesbit, of Sutersville Lumber, Treasurer; Dave Heitzenroder, Corresponding Secretary; Jim Dugan, Recording Secretary; and Dennis DeLuca, Cindy Iannarelli, Phil Sauersisen of Sauereisen Cements and Joe Tesone of Tesone Enterprises, Directors.

The dinner celebrated family firms and the founding of the Pittsburgh Chapter as the first local FFI group in the Country. It was named the Barbara Hollander Chapter in honor of Dr. Hollander’s tireless work across the U.S. in promoting a clearer understanding of family business entities.