Meet Jerry Howell
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Jerry Howell |
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| Q. Market area your exchange covers: | A. Kalamazoo, Portage, Southwest Michigan |
| Q. How long have you been in the barter business?: | A. 26 years |
| Q. How long have you been a NATE member?: | A. 13 years |
| Q. How have you participated in NATE?: | A. Offices, committees, programs, awards; Board member for 8 years, past president, 2000-2001 Top BANC Trader, recipient of numerous paperweights |
| Q. If you could change one thing about the barter industry what would it be?: | A. Get its members to think big trades rather than small ones |
| Q. Spouse’s name (if married): | A. Elizabeth |
| Q. How many children (if any): | A. Two, Shantal, 23, and Amanda, 20 |
| Q. How many grandchildren (if any): | A. None (way too young to be a grandparent) |
| Q. Favorite vacation: | A. Fitness spa where you work your butt off |
| Q. Your hobbies: | A. Writing, especially demented humor |
| Q. Your education: | A. B.A. in Political Science, Michigan State University |
| Q. What's the smartest thing you ever did?: | A. Learned how to sell |
| Q. What's the dumbest thing you ever did?: | A. Didn’t learn to sell until I was happily married |
| Q. What's your favorite TV show?: | A. "Twilight Zone"; "The Honeymooners"; (today’s shows suck) |
| Q. What's the best book you ever read?: | A. Animal Farm (it was really short); Red Badge of Courage |
| Q. What's your favorite movie?: | A. "Field of Dreams" |
| Q. What was your first job?: | A. Digging graves, then picking up dead bodies for a funeral home. Do you detect a pattern here? |
| Q. What was your last job before you got into the barter business?: | A. Radio sales. Everyone should sell radio time. |
| Q. What sports (if any) did you (do you) play?: | A. Pitching baseball. Not slo-pitch softball, which is for girls. |
| Q. What was your first car?: | A. A 1956 Plymouth with a push button transmission |
| Q. What car(s) do you presently own?: | A. A trusty not-so-trusty 1987 new GMC Suburban. It’s new because all of the body parts have been replaced, other than the roof and the hood. It even has a new frame. You have to protect the classics. |
| Q. If you could meet one person, who would that person be?: | A. President Bush. History will show proof that he actually saved our butts. |
| Q. If you have a motto you try to live by, what is it?: | A. Don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s all small stuff. |