2013 – Richard Sulc

Richard-Sulc.For their Citizen of the Year Award, the Chamber has chosen Richard (Dick) Sulc who will be recognized posthumously for his many years of dedicated service to the town through his volunteer efforts and service on many town boards and committees.

Business of the Year and Scholarships for High School Seniors will also be awarded. The buffet dinner will be help on May 16 with cocktail hour beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the Barker Tavern, 21 Barker Road Scituate ,MA 02066

Price per person is $45. Please register to attend the dinner on line [HERE]

or send checks to: Norwell Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 322, Norwell, MA 02061.

A resident of Norwell for the past 30 years, Richard supported the community in a variety of capacities. He served on the Norwell Advisory Board and most recently was on the Capital Budget Committee. He served on the boards of the Norwell Education Foundation (founding member), Norwell Visiting Nurses Association, South Shore YMCA, and the South Shore Natural Science Center. He was a member of First Parish Church in Norwell (Parish Committee, Fogg Endowment Committee, South Scituate Fund Committee) and the Scituate Harbor Yacht Club. He also coached Norwell Youth Soccer (both boys and girls)

Richard greatly enjoyed his time on the water in Scituate as well as watching his children and grandchildren participate in their activities. Richard will be remembered for his willingness to help family and friends whether through his time and energy or through his advice that often came with a personal story.

More about Richard Sulc:

Professional Experience and Accomplishments:

NORWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS, Director Administrative Services, 1995-2006

As a senior administrator reporting to the Superintendent of Schools, I am responsible for the areas of Finance, Budgeting and Accounting; Facilities, including Custodial and Maintenance Services; Food Service; Student Transportation; Purchasing and Personnel, including negotiations with several of the employee bargaining units.

With the initiation of a major construction, responsibilities were expanded to include an integral role on the School Building Committee, initially planning and during construction, overseeing a four building, $54 million construction and renovation project.

Bringing my private sector business, operations and systems background to public education, I have been able to significantly:

  • Improve the quality and effectiveness of the annual budgeting process;
  • Stream-line and improve the informational value of the accounting and financial reporting capabilities;
  • Expand the capabilities and use of administrative and financial computing;
  • Upgrade the effectiveness of custodial and maintenance services, including the application of preventative and long term maintenance planning;
  • Enhance the growth, nutritional efficacy and profitability in food service operations;
  • Improve the process for bidding and contracting supporting services such as student transportation and maintenance services;
  • Foster an environment supporting “customer service”;
  • Introduce energy management and conservation programs;
  • Upgrade project management and financial/operational analytical capabilities.
INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR, 1995-1995

Provided consulting services to the Financial Services Industry.  Functioned as a commercial real estate agent.

MULTIBANK SERVICE CORP., Senior Vice President, Information Technology and Banking Operations, 1985 to 1994

This new company was charged with the responsibility for centralizing all banking operations from 6 banks within the Multibank financial group. These operations included computer and network operations, customer accounting, customer service, systems development as well as the technical and day-to-day operational support for all bank products and services. I joined at a critical time as this centralization was having considerable difficulty implementing new systems, consolidating operations and gaining business unit and customer acceptance.

To turn this around and establish an effective operational support capability, I:

  • Significantly improved and integrated business planning, technology, planning and project management, yielding on-time, on-budget completion of projects.
  • Actively involved the “users” in the centralization process, and then the development and marketing of new products/services and information capabilities while re-prioritizing Operations and Information Technology as a business support capability, rather than as a technical bureaucracy.
  • Prepared, negotiated and managed a $12 million budget for a 200+ person division with 5 direct reports. Through creative re-engineering and automation, maintained a level budget while increasing services and absorbing cost inflation.
  • Formed a business/customer focused management team, strategically deploying technical personnel and managers to areas where they could do the most good; revised career paths and recognition to support the new organizational structure.
  • Introduced and implemented new automated capabilities, tools and applications, expanded the use of PC’s and local area networks – reducing both internal and corporate-wide costs while reducing error rates, improving service levels, expanding management information and improving internal controls.
  • Established an overall personality and “style” to our operations utilizing Total Quality Management programs; changed performance measurement from a production to a customer service orientation.
  • Evaluated outsourcing options and other purchased service vendors; constructed and negotiated contracts and managed the performance of the vendor ensuring high quality, timely service while continual reducing current operating costs.
  • Inaugurated innovative human resource programs, utilizing part-time positions, flex-time, performance based incentive compensation and the use of non-traditional segments of the labor market.
LASERMEM, INC., Vice President & Treasurer, 1983 to 1983

Worked with an entrepreneur of a high-tech start-up company, developed business and financial plans/proposals, gaining serious interest in the venture capital and investor community.

COOPERS & LYBRAND, Partner, Management Consulting, 1969-1983

Recruited upon obtaining my MBA, I initially worked in the Philadelphia office as a staff consultant. Early, I gained a reputation as an innovative problem solver with the ability to get things done.

Based on this and other results, I was asked to relocate to Boston and help in the start-up of the New England management consulting group.

During my 10 years in the Boston office, the practice grew from the original 6 professionals to over 60. As a contributor to this growth, I was admitted to the partnership in 1978, becoming a specialist for managing and marketing the health care consulting practice. This consulting group focused on providing Operational Improvement, Strategic, Tactical, Business and Financial Planning, Information Technology and Project Management services to private and public sector providers of health services. Through aggressive marketing, product innovation and cost effective deliver of service, this practice became an industry recognized leader in New England and a major contributor to the Firm’s profits.

Typical projects included programs that:

  • Selected and implemented a comprehensive financial and patient accounting system at Boston City Hospital.
  • Developed a long-term financial plan and financial feasibility study used to support a $60 million tax-exempt construction bond issue for Beth Israel Hospital.
  • Designed and implemented a creative nurse staffing methodology based upon work load standards as defined by medical condition and patient need for Maine Medical Center.
Education and Other
  • Western Reserve University (now Case Western Reserve University), BA, Economics, September 1963.
  • Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, MBA, December 1968
  • Served as Executive Officer and Engineering Officer in the U.S. Navy
Posted in Citizen of the Year