"It was 1978, but Bob Quick remembers his first airplane ride as if it were yesterday. He recalls boarding Ozark Airlines for a national Future Farmers of America (FFA) leadership conference, and, as he turned to wave to his parents, he knew, in that instant, his life would never be the same. He was leaving behind the small Atwood, Ill., farm he had worked with his father - the farm where he cared for livestock and did heavy field work from the time he was a boy. He returned home after the meeting, but he was a changed young man, having had an opportunity to experience the larger world of public policy and politics and having been recognized for his quiet leadership abilities and his earnest, respectful way of working with others. He was 18 years old and knew he had, or could develop, the skills and knowledge to succeed in a world beyond the family farm.
Bob Quick, for those who don't already know, is president and CEO of Commerce Lexington, formerly the Lexington Chamber of Commerce, and is a quiet, significant force helping to form the Lexington of tomorrow. To know him well requires knowing where he comes from.
"My parents didn't have two nickels to rub together," Bob said, "but they sacrificed so that I could have a better life. From the time I was a youngster, I helped my father plow the land, plant and harvest. I was raised to work hard, tell the truth, and respect my parents. That was expected of me. Going on that trip to the leadership conference meant I couldn't help my father with the farm, but he wanted me to go. And it changed my life. Future Farmers of America opened up a whole world to me, and my parents encouraged me to fulfill my potential."
His father's brother, a vocational agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, however, saw things differently. "At a family reunion, in front of everyone," Bob recalled, "he said I'd never have a chance to be elected an FFA officer, that I was too shy and didn't have what it takes. I was humiliated in front of the entire family." With his parents' encouragement, however, he persevered and rose through the ranks of FFA to become Illinois state president and, ultimately, national secretary of the association. In those positions, he developed greater confidence and overcame some of his shyness.
"I had to give a different speech every day, it seems - sometimes to country farmers, other times to politicians in Washington, D.C. or to international farm representatives. I traveled all over the world representing FFA and gave more than 400 speeches in the U.S. alone."
In his mid-twenties, after graduating from the University of Illinois, Bob had the good fortune to work for John Block, secretary of agriculture in the Reagan administration. "John was from my home state of Illinois and had seen my work with FFA and took me under his wing. I worked in the public liaison office of the department of agriculture and gave John daily briefings. I met with the public and other government personnel. It was an incredible opportunity to learn about politics and about leadership. It taught me how to get things done without drawing attention to myself."
In the late 1980s, Bob took on an international challenge. The Amana Colonies, Iowa's largest corporate farm and biggest tourist attraction, partnered with the Greater Iowa City Chamber of Commerce to bring the World Agriculture Expo to Iowa, and Bob became responsible for coordinating all projects and volunteers for the Expo. Representatives from 19 foreign countries and over 400,000 people came to Amana Colonies, Iowa, to participate in agricultural competitions and exhibits. "It was a good lesson in regionalism and good preparation for the World Equestrian Games coming to Lexington," he offers. "It was also through the Expo that I got involved in the Chamber of Commerce world."
After posts with other Chambers, Quick came to Lexington in 2001 following the retirement of longtime Chamber President Bob Douglas. Within three years, the organization under his leadership experienced momentous change. In 2004, the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce merged with Lexington United to form the umbrella organization Commerce Lexington, Inc., which includes the Lexington Partnership for Workforce Development.
It's a lot of responsibility, a lot of hand-holding and a lot of diplomacy. If he couldn't be in his current career, what would Bob Quick like to be doing? "I don't know," he said, pondering. "I mean, I love what I do so much that, while I often have an opportunity to look at other chambers, I don't. To me, this is the last chamber I want to work in. We love it here. But if I had to do anything else, I would want to be an entrepreneur, own my own business. I want to be able to affect people's lives, and I want to be able to get the best out of individuals, so I think of the challenge of being a business owner."
Asked for his best advice to someone coming into the field of association management, Quick responded in terms rooted in the simple, hard working youth he left behind that day at the airport in 1978. "Be honest, always try to do the right thing, don't be afraid to roll up your sleeves and work exceedingly hard. And, again, you have to be adaptable."
Janet Holloway is president of J. Holloway & Associates and co-founder of Women Leading Kentucky, a foundation committed to creating opportunities for women to lead and learn. She can be reached at: jhollow@womenleadingky.com