BEMA - June 2018 - 55

FAMILY ROUNDTABLE

Bob Zielsdorf

Matt Zielsdorf

a real feel for the amount of effort and energy that
people put into the organization.
Rick Hoskins: The question for me is: What am
I going to do when I take on the leadership role in
BEMA over the next few years to leverage that and
build on what I saw over the past 10 to 15 years?
Whose idea was it to work toward a BEMA
chairmanship? Was it mutual?
DL: I think Dad was very proud that I followed in
behind him and took BEMA on as a personal challenge and commitment.

Rich Hoskins

Rick Hoskins

pretty scrappy kid growing up, and he knew
how to take on challenges. He likes to be part
of this organization, obviously, and he makes
it No. 1. He works hard and does things right.
BZ: I honestly can't think of anything. I think Matt
had an opportunity to perhaps model some of what
he did after me, but he also had inspiration from all
the other chairmen that served between us.
SW: Al is a lot smarter than me; he didn't need any
advice! I hope he did some watching and learning,
but don't recall any specific words of wisdom. He
picked up the torch and carried it higher.

MZ: I decided I would attend my first BEMA as a
member company when I started in the business.
I got involved, and we agreed - my boss was my
dad - that it was a good idea. And it probably
wasn't until I had been involved for a year or two
that I asked the question about what it takes to get
on the board.

What made you the proudest about having
your son serve in the same role you did?
SW: Watching him grow his leadership skills to
a whole new level. When you go through BEMA
leadership, you get educational and life skills that
you can't find anywhere else.

Bob Zielsdorf: My memory jives with Matt. In my
own case, the decision to get active in the association and eventually start going through the chairs
was my own. But my father supported it.

BZ: The year Matt was chair, my wife and I attended the annual meeting. It was a real point of pride
to see him presiding over this organization ... he
handled things very admirably.

Steve Wright: For us, it was not a pre-planned decision. Allen became involved in BEMA while I was
on the board and preparing to become chairman.
He saw the value BEMA brought our company and
decided to get involved himself. As I phased into
retirement and reduced my BEMA involvement, he
increased his. It was just a natural progression that
was sort of driven by the value that BEMA brought
to our company.

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come with being a second-generation BEMA
chair?
DL: The challenge is that you're not your dad.
And the benefit is that your dad led the way. It's
always hard to fill your dad's footsteps. That's the
nature of the beast. The benefits are obvious that
they really showed you how to conduct yourself in
the proper manner and work hard, and that being
a part of a trade association is work. It takes effort
and commitment.

Fathers, what advice did you have for your
son when he took (or as he prepares to take)
the gavel?
Rich Hoskins: I didn't have to give him much.
He knew what he wanted early on. He was a

Rick Hoskins: One thing is that people assume
you're going to make decisions and act the same
way your dad did, whether it's in meetings or

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