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Q&A with David J. Bernosky, CFP
AFA Position: Past President (1998-2002)
Sales Representative
at:
Oneida Fence Co.
199 Grider
Buffalo, N.Y. 14215
(716) 897-1212
UB Stadium at the University of
Buffalo has a seating capacity of 30,000 people.
Over the past 39 years, David Bernosky could have set up each one
of them with a fence in one respect or another. “I have sold, estimated and/or installed over 30,000
fences. Needless to say, there isn’t much in this industry that I haven’t seen,” he said.
His role
in the fence industry is taken seriously. While quantity is one success, knowledge is another. “I am one of only two
current Certified Fence Professionals (CFP) in the Buffalo area,” he said.
His knowledge and experience are
useful assets to the AFA where, behind the scenes, his presence is powerful in organizing events and driving the success of
the WNY chapter.
In a June 26, 2006 interview with Stephanie Sadler, Bernosky shares his successes and interests within
and outside of the fence industry.
The Industry:
Q: Describe your
history in the fence industry.
A: I have been in the fence industry for the majority of my adult life. My
career began in 1967, when I started as a shop laborer. Over the past 39 years, I have held every position possible in the
fence industry.
Q: At which local fence companies have you been employed in the past?
A: The majority
of my career has been spent with two companies: Erie Fence for over 20 years and City Fence for 12 years.
The Company:
Q: You have since moved on. Where to, and what is your position in the company?
A:
I am a sales representative for Oneida Fence Co. I have been with Oneida since April 15, 2006.
Q: How has
Oneida Fence Co. evolved since you have been employed there?
A: Oneida has now become a kinder gentler place. The goodlookingness factor
has also risen considerably.
Education:
Q: What is your highest
level of education?
A: My educational background centers on dealing with children and adults. I have obtained a
BS and an MS in education from Buffalo State College. Lacking only a thesis to complete the program, I have also attended
the MBA Program majoring in sales and marketing at Canisius College. The AFA, the BBB and the Chamber of Commerce offer numerous
seminars and continuing education courses which I occasionally attend.
Q: Are you currently working on your thesis?
A:
I got what I needed from the MBA program. Since I was not going to hang the degrees on my wall, I decided that there was
no real need to finish.
Family:
Q: Are you married?
A:
This June, my wife, Shelley, and I will be celebrating our 34th
anniversary. A now retired 33-year veteran,
served in the Buffalo Schools, she was a math teacher who had been on temporary assignment to the computer program for the
past 20 years.
Q: And do you have kids?
A: We have 2 children, Joel and Kimberly. Joel is in his junior
year at Buffalo State College and is in the environmental, geology field. He is currently in Cambodia doing research.
Kimberly will be attending the Ph.D. Program at Wake Forest Medical College in North Carolina. She will be specializing in
Pharmacology and Physiology.
Community:
Q: Besides employment,
in what capacity have you involved yourself in the fence industry?
A: I have been involved with the fence industry
on a local and national level. Until its disappearance in the 1980’s, I held the positions of Secretary, Treasurer and
held various committees for the Greater Buffalo Fence Contractors association. From its inception in 1998 until 2002, I was
the Charter Chapter President of the WNY Fence Contractors. I served on the Board of Governors of the AFA from 1999 to 2004.
Q:
Are you involved in other community activities unrelated to the industry?
A: In addition to the fence association,
I have always been very
involved in my community. I was the Past President of the Riverside Kiwanis Club and am
currently on the Board of Directors for the Kiwanis Club of the Tonawandas. I preside over the local Zoning and Appeals Board
in the capacity as chairman. The American Legion Post 264, Knights of Columbus Twin City Council, and Board of Directors for
the Grand Island/Tonawanda Teacher Center are other activities I am involved in, and I have also been chairman of the Tonawanda
Library Board. I have served as a member of the Board of Trustees for both the Erie County and Tonawanda Library Boards.
Bernosky
has also served in the US Army as a drill sergeant, E-6 and received an honorable discharge.
What does he do to relax
when he’s not hard at work, spending time with the family or volunteering his services to the community?
“In
my spare time (what is that?) I enjoy skiing, reading, fishing, the outdoors and emptying Corona beer bottles on the beach.”
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