Interview with the new Broadway Market Manager Tom Kerr

Last week I sent some questions to the new Broadway Market manager Tom Kerr to get a little background on him, his vision for the Market and why he took the job…the below are the questions with his responses.

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BFA: What attracted you to the manager position at the Broadway Market?

TK: There were several critical factors that attracted me to the position as Market Manager:

First – the significant need for a revitalization of the Market in support of the neighborhood, the City of Buffalo and Western NY.

Second – the challenge – I knew it would not be easy. Easy is for someone else, I thrive on challenges, impossible tasks and doing what others have not been able to do.

Third – I love Buffalo and Western NY – sounds corny but having lived and worked elsewhere, Buffalo is a unique and great place to live and work, many times we do not fully appreciated it. Let’s look at the half full not the half empty – we have so many great things going for us here in Western NY.

Fourth – My lovely wife was supportive of my desire to make a difference

BFA: Before the Broadway Market, give a little background on your work experience and how this experience will help you guide the Market?

TK: WOW how do you cover decades of work experience? I have a very eclectic background for this position and feel that the sum total of the experiences is what will help me propel the Broadway Market. I have had three decades of top-level managerial experience in the government, the non-profit and the private business fields. I worked for the United Way as the first Director for Economic Self-Sufficiency of Low Income Families. A mouthful but in this position I built a community coalition of over 50 agencies and implemented a plan to help these families build assets, becoming financial more independent and connect with programs to help achieve their goals. I was the President of a computer manufacturing company and built employment from over 50 to 125 employees at peak employment.

Before that I spent many years as an IRS top-level manager. I was responsible for facilities management for over 500,000 square feet of office space in 16 offices across Western and Central NY, I served as the Director of Information Technology across NY State, I supervised the 600 person Customer Service operation and directed tax operations for over 1,500 employees. During that time, I built a state of the art training and call site of over 100,000 square feet and I represented the Treasury Department for four years with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. This required frequent travel to Paris, Dublin, London and Washington.

OK, that is certainly not managing a food market as many people are thinking.

Well, I have demonstrated that I know what it takes to make a business successful, I have shown I can get very diverse community interests to work together for a common good, I have demonstrated that I can deliver good customer service and I know what makes a facility tick.

Additionally, I want nothing other than the businesses in the Broadway Market to succeed and the Buffalo area to have a market that rivals – Cleveland or Baltimore or so many other cities across America.

BFA: What are the biggest obstacles facing the Market?

TK: Where do I start? Actually, I do not believe that their are any true obstacles. There certainly are challenges but I do not believe that they are insurmountable ones. The Market needs some substantially infrastructure improvements – heat, lights etc but the City of Buffalo is committed to those improvements. We need some serious clean-up and fix-up to make the building attractive for customers and tenants.

This is an area where the community could help substantially – we need volunteers – and could use them every Saturday. I have a large list from piano tuning to interior decorating assistance to junk hauling to holiday programming and decorating to small fix-up tasks to cooking demonstrations to painting to small equipment repair. Yes, I can get the City of Buffalo to help with all of those things – and maybe I should – but the City has a tremendous number of buildings and it may take some time. I can’t wait – wouldn’t the local community embracing the Market and the new vision make more sense. Call the office 716-893-0705 if you can help – better yet, I know you can help – call if you have an hour or two and can help.

BFA: What type of changes can we expect to see in the coming months at the Market?

TK: Well, we are working hard on clean-up and fix-up. I look at it this way – I feel like this is my new home and I would not invite you to my house in the present condition. I can’t change everything overnight but I can insure that when you visit that you will come to a clean facility. I am working closely with the staff and the Tenants to improve cleanliness and orderliness. From there, paint and fix-up!

Actually, I have a vision for the Market – I hope you can embrace it and help me move the market forward. The vision is:

Build upon the Market’s rich ethnic traditions and success, transforming it into a local, regional and national attraction as an International Ethnic Market and Gathering Place by:

• Providing a positive customer experience for very diverse and unique customers
• Attract urbanites, suburbanites, tourists and people of all backgrounds, races and creeds to a public shopping and community gathering place
• Serving both neighborhood and regional customers in a clean, affordable, secure and unique environment
• Allowing customers to fulfill a wide variety of food shopping and service needs

1. Neighborhood customers will find basic food items, competitively priced and presented in an atmosphere that clearly represents the Market as the social focal point of the Broadway Fillmore community
2. Regional customers will find unique, international, ethnic and specialty food items, competitively priced and presented in an atmosphere that clearly represents the Market as a unique regional asset and a significant attraction for the Western New York region

• Providing cultural, historical, ethnic, educational, entertainment and support opportunities
• Promoting economic vitality within the Market District, the city of Buffalo, and Western NY by supporting small businesses and local farmers and creating employment opportunities through new business formation for entrepreneurs or expansion for existing business
• Enhancing knowledge of food sources and nutrition through educational programs, demonstrations and direct interaction between producers, vendors, chefs and consumers

BFA: A lighter question…prior to taking on the manager role or being interested in the position, do you have a favorite memory or impression the Market left with you?

TK: Well, there are a couple of things that I remember about the Market and the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood that have stuck with me:

1. During High School, I spent many a Friday night at the Chopin Singing Society on Kosciuszko Street with friends who regularly played in a band there. It always seemed like such a long way from Bailey and Kensington.
2. During College, many a day/night having “a” drink at Stanek’s on Fillmore. (You could drink at 18 back then)
3. In my working years, traveling from downtown for lunch and shopping at the Market – especially during Holidays (my boss at the time grew up in the neighborhood and made it a weekly ritual)
4. My best friend (Italian) telling me all about working as the Manager of the Big E on Broadway and the nice people that made him feel so welcome – it didn’t hurt that his wife was Polish.