Portraits in Determination - Inspirational Individuals

Serving A Community I Call Home
An Interview with Steven Adler
By Linda Furiate

I asked Steven Adler if he would allow me to interview him for an article I wanted to write as a way of providing some exposure to his campaign as he runs for Howard County Executive. Typically my writing evolves around adversity and how one is able to overcome the unfair circumstances that life may have tossed in our direction. My stories may bring up the harsh reality of the past, but always showcase and emphasize the emotional and spiritual growth of an individual as they journey through the ebb and flow of existence.

I have known Steve only a short period of time. When I look at him, I see an accomplished man, a man who has always made the right decisions, leading him toward great success. As he tells his story working for his father as a youth, helping out in the men’s retail clothing store I hear about the dedication he portrayed, diligently working harder than most in order to obtain his desired results. I admire this person so willing to follow in his father’s footsteps and anxious to please the most beloved man in his life.

Steve was brought up with a humble beginning. His father would take public transportation to work each and every morning so his mother was able to use to the car to care for their two young boys. As Steve would watch his father climb aboard the southbound bus from Langley Park, headed deep into the city, he knew his family was not like most. He understood the great sacrifice his dad made in order to provide an adequate lifestyle for the family. To this day, Steve relies on the gifts his father bestowed upon him as a young man - the gift of providing him with a great work ethic; teaching him to role up his sleeves to get the job done; the importance of being kind to all people; and to lead by example. All of these aspects paying off for Steve, as he has worked with numerous failing businesses, turning them around to make millions of dollars.

Since his father’s passing in 1996, Steve is more dedicated than ever to work hard for his family and the great team of people who surround him. His wanting and willingness to give of himself as he builds upon his life, is underscored by the wisdom and devotion his father instilled in him in his early years.

Steve now dedicates his life to the community he calls home. He is involved as a Chair or Committee member with The Horizon Foundation, the YMCA, the Route 1 Revitalization Project, the Columbia Foundation, Columbia Festival of the Arts, Howard County Economic Development and countless other projects. As Steve Adler runs for Howard County Executive his main focus is to allow for the citizens of this, the 10th wealthiest county in the country, enjoy the excellent quality of life they deserve.

We should all be so fortunate to have a man like Steven Adler expressing his insight, work ethic, drive and spirit as Howard County Executive.

And we will, when Steve Adler wins the race in November.

Linda Furiate - What motivates you to heal an ailing company?

Steve Adler - I am always striving for the next step, ways to get better. My striving for perfection motivates me.

LF - In your strive for perfection, what functions do you perform in order to make situations better?

SA - I really talk to my employees and to my customers. I ask them what it is we need to be doing and how we can become better at what we do.

LF - As you run for Howard County Executive, how can you relate your business experience to help the residents of the county?

SA - Very similarly. I want to focus on the 250,000 "customers" of Howard County and figure out how to return value for their investment of tax dollar.

LF - What would you say is the most tragic event in your life?

SA - By far the most tragic event in my life has been losing my dad and two uncles. It’s just a void I feel. My son and I were out of town when my father died. There was a big snowstorm and we could not get back home on time. I feel like I was not there for my family when they needed me most.

LF - How have your dealt with the pain of losing your father?

SA - I don’t know if I have. I have always been a pretty tough guy. I focus, muddle through and handle everything I need to. I try to use my energies to accomplish positive things and move forward.

LF- Use 5 words to describe your character.

SA - Strong, caring, sensitive, passionate and unrelenting.

LF - What makes you cry?

SA - Death. The pain people have to go through as a result of losing a loved one has always touched my heart and soul.

LF - Steve you were nominated volunteer of the year for Howard County in 2000, why is it important for you to volunteer your time and energy?

SA - I have been volunteering my time for the past 10 years. What I get out of it is I believe I help people. I set a good example and I bring my given set of business skills to different organizations. I feel very comfortable knowing that when I leave, things are in a better condition than when I first got there. It’s not only about the success that I can build for my family, and myself, but how I can share my success and efforts to provide a higher quality of life for others.

LF - What do you value most?

SA - Having come from modest background and achieving a comfortable level of success and security, I realize my friendships and relationships are my most prized possessions.

LF - Pretend for a moment I am a young woman in my 20’s, a single mother of 3. I come to you because my husband recently died. I am not skilled enough to provide adequate income to support my children. I am in fear of losing my home in Howard County, the county I have lived in all my life. What are you going to do to help me?

SA - I am very interactive. I usually don’t just jaunt down a name and say call this person. I make the calls and do the follow up to provide a solution. Let me give you an example: A couple of years ago I heard fire engines going past my office. I realized it was going just around the corner. I found out it was to the home of one of the maintenance guys here at work. His whole apartment caught on fire. The family lost everything. I went over there to see what was going on. I reached into my pocket and handed him all the cash I had on me, maybe two or three hundred dollars. I came back to my office and told my staff I wasn’t going to be back the rest of the day. I proceeded to go home. I realized he was about the size I was, I got some clothes for him. His wife was about my mother’s size so I put some stuff together for her. They had a daughter who was the size of my brother’s daughter. I went to my boy’s room and got clothes for their two boys. I put together a box for all five members of the family. I called my wife and got some more cash. By 3 o’clock that day, everyone had something to wear. When the people in the office heard about this, they put together a table and some chairs, some beds/mattresses and within a couple of days the family had at least the semblance to move on. I would say that I am pretty interactive.

LF - What 3 issues are you proposing change as you run for County Executive?

SA - I want to tackle the tough stuff. I want to start us on the road to revitalization of our older neighborhoods. We have a problem with our streams, valleys and the water quality in the county along with solid waste and landfill issues. There are inequities between social economics and different parts of our county. I want to address all of these issues.

LF - What is your motto or philosophy on life?

SA - I don’t like to wait or put things off, if it needs to be done, it should be done now. My motto would be "It’s always a good time to do the right thing."

LF - Why should I vote for you?

SA - I think people should vote for me because I can promise that I will put more energy and effort into being Howard County Executive. I care about the people of Howard County and I expect results.

LF - Why do you want to win the race for Howard County Executive?

SA - It’s about job performance and making a difference. This is not a job I "need". It’s a job I have the capacity to do. I feel compelled to step up and serve my community. No one will bring the passion to the table like I will. Winning gives me the opportunity to perform the things I know I am capable of doing. Being surrounded by people on my committee, people who support me and who care about me, I am doing it for all of us. Winning entitles me to do the work.

LF - Do you have any closing remarks or comments?

SA - I may not be the smartest, most educated guy in the room. I have always been one of the hardest workers. I care at a very high level and push myself to make others proud of what I stand for. Howard County needs elected officials to stand for something and we need to be held accountable. Government is there to help those in need so we need to have better results. As Howard County Executive, it would be the ultimate opportunity for me to give back to my community to help others.

LF - Thank you Steve for taking time from your busy campaigning schedule to chat with me. Best of luck to you in November.

For more information on Steve Adler's campaign, please visit www.adler4hoco.com.