Tag Archives for Mike Tamburro

Still Getting the Job Done

Survey: Many Choosing Part-Time Work in Post Retirement Years

Published in Woonsocket Call on September 13, 2015

In 2010, when Michael Cassidy retired as Pawtucket’s Director of Planning & Redevelopment after working for the municipality for 40 years he had no intentions of easing himself into full-time employment.   While he was retiring to “retirement” he had every intention to remain active for the rest of his life.

Cassidy instinctively knew that retirees, who stay active by playing sports, traveling or even volunteering, always seemed to live longer.  His father was a good example of this belief, living to the ripe old age of 92.  Before the nagenarian died he had worked part-time as realtor, also playing in an Golden Oldies softball league and umpiring three times a week.

Part-Time Job Gives Many Bennies

With Cassidy planning to retire at age 62 from the City of Pawtucket, he went to see Paw Sox President, Mike Tamburro asking him, “Do you have a job for an old retired guy.”  Ultimately, he took the position as usher at the Pawtucket-based McCoy Stadium.  He says, “The job keeps me on my feet four to five hours.” Each game he puts around 15,000 steps on his pedometer.  But the job also allows him to interact with old friends and even gives him an opportunity to make new ones, too. .

There are additional benefits of having a part-time job, besides just getting physical active and having an opportunity to mingle with people, says Cassidy.   He now has more time to spend with his six grandchildren, travel with Jane-Ellen, his wife of 45 years, and to just putter around his home.  Now he even serves as Chair of the Blackstone Valley National Heritage Corridor Organization, he says.

Like Cassidy, according to a new AARP released last Tuesday, older Americans are not choosing to retire, many are now seeking part-time jobs in their post retirement years, not full-time ones.

Work the New Retirement Activity

According to the findings in the 26 page AARP report, “AARP Post Retirement Career Study,” work seems to be the “new retirement activity.” While many Americans state that they plan to retire between ages 65 and 70 (45%), the data indicates that the typical retirement may have changed.  Thirty seven percent say they plan to work for pay in post retirement.  Of these respondents, 73 percent desire a part-time job and almost half are looking to work in a new field (44%).  Twenty three percent will stay in the same field, and 33% are undecided.

The researchers say that connecting with co-workers, interesting and challenging work, and the desire for a work-life balance are all stated as top reasons why work is enjoyable. Some are seeking to pursue their dream job or dream field in this next stage of life.  Sports, hospitality,  and education fields are frequently cited.  Most are hoping that their new dream jobs will be part-time, flexible with work from home options, and allow time for travel and fun.

The findings also indicate the importance of job training for those who plan to work during their retirement years.  Among those who plan to enter a new field, training is seen as even more crucial to succeeding on the job (46% vs. 36% among those staying in the same field).

Meanwhile, when asked about what they enjoyed most about their current career, most mentioned income, benefits, and the schedule/work-life balance.

According to the AARP survey, regardless of the field, respondents are hoping to work part-time (73%), with over half expecting to work for someone else (57%) vs. being a contractor (21%) or starting their own business (19%).

Personal contacts and job listings are the primary avenues respondents say they use to find post-retirement work (49% and  43%, respectively). Professional networking is also a popular way people plan to find work, note the researchers.

When questioned about their dream job, many respondents talk about a profession, for others it may be a particular type of working lifestyle.  Jobs in the sports, creative, hospitality and education fields are mentioned frequently by the respondents while those looking for lifestyle benefits seek flexibility, lucrative, opportunities to travel, and employment with a charitable aspect to it.

.AARP’s efforts to look into how people spend time in their retirement years is the first  survey of this kind and there are no comparative stats from previous years, says Kim Adler, AARP’s Work and Jobs Lead.

The findings suggest that there are major implications for employers, adds Adler.  “Americans are living longer, healthier lives and we will see a continuation of the long term trend of working into retirement years. Nearly 19 percent of 65 and older workers are in the workplace and the percentages – as well as the actual numbers – are likely to continue to rise. This will give employers the opportunity to hire and retain experienced workers who look forward to the opportunities and challenges in the workplace,” she says.

According to Adler, “there are shortages of skilled workers in certain industries and many employers report difficulty filling jobs. For these jobs – and all others – employers and employees benefit from an intergenerational workforce that encourages mentoring and knowledge sharing.”

Great Wealth of Experience

“The survey gives us a better picture of what retirement looks like today and, likely, well into the future,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Kathleen Connell. “But it also is a conversation starter about the value of older workers. Older Rhode Island workers represent a great wealth of experience and accomplishment at every level of the workforce.

“Employers should embrace the willingness of people to work part-time after 65 or 70 as a “golden’ opportunity, if you will. And this is especially true of startups, where wisdom is a critical success factor. Growing the Rhode Island economy might depend on synergies of young innovators guided by experienced leaders and managers.

Adds Charlie Fogarty, Director of the Rhode Island Division of Elderly Affairs, “Many older adults look at retirement as a transition period, and not a defined point in time in their lives.” He notes, “This population has a wealth of experience and knowledge that can be shared while working part-time, making for a more productive and richer work experience for all employees.”

“Our new research shows a fluid workplace, with many experienced workers looking for flexible part-time work in interesting and challenging positions to continue their careers,” said Kim Adler, AARP’s Work and Jobs lead.  “The new website [AARP.org/Work] will help experienced workers control their careers and stay connected, competitive and current in the workplace,” Adler added.

This AARP survey, overseen by Gretchen Anderson, AARP Research, was fielded online from July 27 to August 3, 2015 and conducted among adults age 50-64 who are currently employed full time.  A total of number of 4,975 surveys were completed. The final data has been weighted to U.S. Census for analysis.

Ben Batted 1,000

Published in Senior Digest on July 2004

Played on April 18, 1981, and June 23, 1981, Major League Baseball’s longest game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and Rochester Red Wings lasted for more than eight hours and 33 minutes.

Owner Ben Mondor’s watches over his bellowed Pawtucket Red Sox, the Triple-A International League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, has stretched over 28 years, totaling more than 36,288 innings.

For baseball trivia buffs, both statistics are worthy of the history books.  Throughout his long career that began in 1977, Pawtucket baseball icon has accumulated 57 large scrap books crammed with newspaper clippings noting his achievements

Mondor, now age 79, admits that he didn’t have the necessary skills to play on a high school team, but his contributions as owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox to the City of Pawtucket, the state of Rhode Island and to the fans are legendary.

Some of the articles in Mondor’s scrapbooks note many, prominent awards he has received over the years. Among them, is the prestigious 2002 award from the Association of Fund-Raising Professionals, which recognized the Triple-A clubs as Rhode Island’s Outstanding Philanthropic Business. For his outstanding community service, he received the 2001 Hope Award from the Rhode Island State Council Knights of Columbus and the Pawtucket 2004 Foundation’s Heritage Award.

Over the years Mondor has also been recognized by peers for his exceptional and significant contributions to America’s favorite pastime. The Paw Sox owner and former Boston Red Sox CEO John Harrington are the only two non-uniformed members of the Red Sox to earn the BoSox Booster Club’s Man of the Year Award.  Meanwhile, Mondor took home the National Association of Professional Baseball League’s” John H. Johnson  President’s Trophy” in 1990.  Under Mondor’s watch, the Pawtucket Triple-A Club was also selected by Baseball America as the top Triple-A operation receiving the 1990 and 2003 Bob Freitas Award, only one of the three minor league franchises to receive that coveted award twice.

Last month, Ben Mondor Day was held at Fenway Park in Boston, Mondor says that the one-hour ceremony recognized the financial stability of his organization and the high caliber of his players. During his tenure, more than 422 ballplayers have completed stints in Pawtucket before joining American League or National League teams.

On a recent day, Mondor is sitting in his spacious office at a long conference table with his back to a huge rectangular window that gives him a magnificent view of the McCoy Stadium diamond.  Dozens of autographed baseballs in their plastic protective cases line the window ledge.

“Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens signed balls,” Mondor noted, pointing to the keepsakes that hold memories of ballplayers’ visits to his office.  Adding to the ambiance, are three walls of photographs of Pawtucket Red Sox players, and scenes of McCoy Stadium. “It’s quite a place filled with heart-felt mementos,” he says.

Prominently placed on wall are photographs of 12 special supporters of Mondor’s. All of them are deceased, he reveals. “It’s scary to be the last one left,” he says.

“These are the people who got me interested in baseball and gave me a big hand when I took over the Pawtucket Red Sox in 1977,Mondor explains. Pointing to a photograph of the late Chet Nichols, a baker for former Hospital Trust, Mondor says, “He urged me to keep the team in Pawtucket.”

Looking at a photograph l of the late Ted Mulcahey, a sports editor for the Pawtucket Times, Mondor recalls the encouragement and guidance the newspaperman offered during his efforts to purchase the team and in his early day of ownership.

Mondor’s thirst for knowledge would lead him from Brown University, to the University of Rhode Island to Bryant College, where he “studied what he wanted to study.” Although he never graduated from college, he became a self-taught engineer, sharpening his craft by working in the mills of Woonsocket.

In a career shift lasting 18 years, Mondor would learn the trade of buying bankrupt businesses and restoring them to resell for a profit.  In a move that would change his life, Mondor took over the bankrupt Pawtucket Red Sox in 1976. At the time, he was retired and living in Lincoln.

Mondor says that the Pawtucket franchise could have been lost if he had not taken it over. “No Triple-A team could have come into Pawtucket because of the size of the city’s population and size of the stadium,” he says.

Thirty years ago, before Mondor purchased the franchise, he admits to be woefully uninformed about Pawtucket.  Today, he sees the city as a symbol of all the old mill cities in New England, successfully changing to survive. “We’re glad that we have become an institution for this city,” he says.

Speaking of Mondor, Pawtucket Mayor James E. Doyle says the team owner has been the unofficial ambassador for both baseball and the city.

Mondor’s fondest memory of his long career was during the 1999 season when McCoy Stadium underwent, a $16-million renovation and expansion.  After the renovations, the smallest of all Triple-A stadiums met the requirements of the Professional Baseball Association (PBA) with Disabilities Act.  One of the PBA’s criteria concerns seating capacity, and McCoy went from 6,000 to more than 10,000.

Along with more seats, the project entailed a new grandstand with an entry tower, a new playing field, an expanded main concourse with additional restrooms and concession stands, a new video board and a new scoreboard.

During Mondor’s first year as the owner of the Pawtucket Red Sox, only 70,000 fans came to watch the pennant-winning ball club.  During 2001, season in a renovated McCoy Stadium, however, attendance hit a franchise record of 647,928 fans – the first time the club drew more than 600,00 people.

Mondor is also proud of the upcoming Triple-A All-Star Game that will be held in Pawtucket this month. “It is usually a one-day affair, but we are planning to expand it to three days,” he said proudly, noting that no other Triple-A-Club in his memory has ever rolled out the red carpet like the Pawtucket Red Sox.

According to Mondor, in the 20 years of Triple-A clubs sponsoring this event, this is the first time ever that additional days were added to include festivities.

Retiring at the end of the 2004 season, Mondor has not regrets. “It’s been a long road and God’s been good to me,” he quips.

Poor health keeps Mondor from traveling with Madeline, his wife of 47 years.  However, he will continue to collect Russian artwork, visit museums detain the history of nations. An avid reader, the outgoing owner says he has more than 5,000 books in his study.

“By reading about the people who were instrumental in creating nations, in biographies and autobiographies, you might be surprised you can learn,” Mondor points out. “You can learn what they were thinking and why they acted in certain ways.”

If someone was to write his biography, Mondor would want readers to know that as the long-time Pawtucket Red Sox owner, he considers himself to be the luckiest man in the world. Additionally, he would want to get the message out about the importance of working. “Go to work. There is no substitute for work, and it will ultimately lead to your success,” he says.

Mondor says the secret of the franchise’s success under his rein is simple. “our philosophy was always to make McCoy Stadium an affordable, family-oriented place,” he says.  In the last 28 years, the rice of general admission tickets has remained at $4, and the cost of better seats has gone up from $7 to $9.

When asked about becoming a baseball icon in the Ocean State, Mondor attributed his well-recognized success to being surrounded by “the best people in baseball.” Rattling off a list of names l- Mike Tamburro, Lou Schwecheimer, Bill Wanless, Michael Gwyon and Mike Tedesco- along with 20 others in his administrative offices, Mondor knows he’s got a “well-oiled machine that actually runs by itself.”

“They make me look so good,” he says. Tamburro, the first employee that Mondor hired, will take over the reins at the end of the 2004 season. “He’s like my surrogate son.  We   work the same way and also have the same philosophies,” Mondor said.

Tamburro, who is President of the franchise agrees. “It’s been an honor to work side-by-side with Ben for the past 28 years. We shared dreams, a work ethic and a strong belief in our wonderful Pawtucket community.”

“Its my hope that the Paw Sox will always continue to uphold Ben’s idea of ting baseball  with family entertainment,” Tamburro says.