Jeremy GNADE

President

SUNBURST OPTICS

* Age: 37

* Do you have ideas to attract and keep youth in the Syracuse area? Continue to attract businesses to this area, particularly high tech or innovative small businesses. As a community, we need to work with the wealth of knowledge within our colleges and universities to try to keep students from leaving the area.

* Where do you see the community and yourself in the next 10 years? I believe the downtown redevelopment, Connective Corridor, and mall development will start to payoff within 10 years. I see myself growing my business and possibly expanding my opportunities with other businesses as well.

* Who has been the most influential person in your career? My father in-law, Robert Derrenbacker.

* What are your guiding principles in life? I try to use Christian principles to guide my life which are stress honesty, integrity, and thinking of others before yourself.

* What has been your best career decision? Deciding to work with a small company like Sunburst Optics rather than a large corporation.

* How has your life turned out differently than imagined? I truly never imagined being president of a company and owning it by the age of 32.

* What is one of your quirks? I tend to be over analytical at times. I have a hard time letting go of a problem until it is fixed.

* What are the core values that have been essential to your success? Treat employees as you would want to be treated. Always follow up when asked. Find solutions to problems that will help prevent them from happening again.

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