From the hardships of military life, challenges of navigating parenthood, and unpredictable economic changes, Juan and Amie Gonzales have overcome a lot in their lives. Through every obstacle however, they remained committed to their community and each other. 

As the President of Hunt Companies, Inc. Amie views her team as a family and is dedicated to leading them to success. Juan supports her as the Chief Financial Officer for the company, creating strategies to ensure they make it through every obstacle. While their success with Hunt Companies is impressive, it is their continued dedication to serving their community that makes Juan and Amie such admirable leaders.

In 1986, Amie’s father, Dennis Hunt, began a construction business known as Hunt Construction Services. The name was later changed in 1992 to Hunt Companies, Inc. 

Growing up, Amie always enjoyed learning about her father’s business and thought about the possibility of taking over for him. When she graduated high school, Amie earned an associate’s degree from Herkimer Community College. She then continued working with her father, until an army recruiter tracked her down in the parking lot. Dennis was a Navy veteran and Amie had always wondered if she could make it in the military. She decided to take the leap and enlisted in the Navy, vice the Army. 

Like Amie, Juan’s father was also a veteran having served in the Army. For him, enlisting in the military was a way out of the neighborhood, and provided more opportunities for his life. He participated in a
buddy program with three of his friends and joined the Navy two weeks after high school. 

While in the Navy, Amie was a journalist writing stories that would be distributed worldwide. She also did some videography work and photography. Eventually, the Navy combined the photographers, journalists, and lithographers to create mass communication specialists. Amie continued producing stories, photos, and videos for various media outlets. She spent most of her time on the east coast, but was deployed several times.  Juan was in the yeoman rating, where he managed a lot of different administration and finance functions. 

“They sent me to Hawaii for three years as an 18 year old kid, and everybody asks why I stayed in the Navy for that long? It’s because they sent me to Hawaii for three years,” Juan shared. 

At about his 10 year mark in the Navy, Juan joined the flag writer program. While in this program, he managed the offices of senior Navy and Joint leaders. 

He shared that this role was, “Where I honed all of my office manager skills, change management and process improvement skills, financing, budgeting… All that really was a great pathway walking into Hunt Companies.”  

Juan and Amie met in Millington, Tennessee — the home of Navy personnel commands. This was Amie’s first active duty station following her schooling and also where the two began their relationship. However, the military lifestyle meant that being together consisted of quite a bit of time apart. They spent hours driving to see each other on weekends when Juan was stationed in the Pentagon and Amie in Norfolk, VA and communicated as often as they could. 

“Because we were both active duty, we both understood the lifestyle, we understood what sacrifices had to be made on both sides and we were willing to do that. We had trust and faith in each other,” said Amie. 

Eventually the two were married and welcomed their son Ethan into the world. This made being long distance even more difficult, and there was a period of time while Amie was deployed that Juan had to care for Ethan himself. Juan shared that, through the challenges, he and Amie often referred back to the quote by Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, who said, “Once you agree upon the price you and your family must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts, the opponent’s pressure, and the temporary failures.” Having served an eight year long career in the military, Amie decided that she would leave in order to be with her son.

Once she left the Navy, she began working remotely and focused on getting her master’s degree from Strayer University. She then returned to her father’s business and found that the skills she had acquired in the military helped her be successful at the job. “The experiences from the service, the leadership that we learned— the accountability, determination, all those things that the service teaches you— directly applied to what we were doing here at Hunt Companies and really helped us refine what my father had started,” Amie shared.  

Juan continued in the Navy for 20 years before retiring, but not before he earned his master’s degree. “When we came up here, I was happy to be retired and didn’t have any plans. I wanted to be the first confirmed Washington county sasquatch and started growing out my beard and my hair,” he joked. However, the plan changed in 2015 when Denny and Amie brought him on as the Chief Financial Officer for Hunt Companies. 

While HCI had many successes, they experienced a major loss when their biggest customer stopped construction that year. “In one phone call, 8 million dollars worth of work disappeared for the year with us not knowing where the work was going to come from,” explained Juan. Luckily, they were able to resolve the conflict and not lay off a single employee, but they realized the importance of having a backup plan and not relying on one customer for too much of their income. As a result, when the pandemic hit in 2020, Juan, Amie, and her brother Jason, the Vice President and Operations Manager, were prepared and refined the plan they had created. 

“When Covid hit in 2020 we were actually ready for it, we just dusted off the book, made some tweaks to it and actually kept our plan on how to survive a tough year,” said Juan. They were able to get through the difficult time without letting go of anyone on their team. Today, the company continues to thrive and Amie, Jason, and Juan are working on continuing to build a strong foundation for the future of Hunt Companies. “My main goal is just continuing to strengthen the foundation,” said Amie. 

While the two are extremely proud of how far Hunt Companies has come, their biggest achievement has been the impact they’ve had on their community. “When you find that level of success, you have to give back to the community that you’re in. America has survived 240-plus years because you’ve always given some to the next generation,” said Juan. Amie feels the same way saying, “Our businesses and our communities will thrive when they invest in each other.” Recently, Amie took over as the Chair for the SUNY Adirondack Board of Trustees and Juan is the Chairman for the Warren/Washington County Industrial Development Agency. 

“To be able to run two chairs in one family on vital community boards here is special to us personally and shows people you have to stay involved even sometimes when you do get a little tired,” shared Juan. 

When they are not busy giving back to their community or running Hunt Companies, Juan and Amie love traveling. They still keep in touch with friends from the military and enjoy visiting them when they can.
“With military buddies, you pickup where you last left off, it doesn’t matter if it’s one day or ten years,” Juan shared. The two also have bees that they care for and spend time outside gardening. In the future, they are looking forward to retiring and preparing to see how Hunt Companies grows under the next generation. 

Photos Provided.

Vision is a privilege that can easily be taken for granted, but for many, clear sight depends on the expertise of dedicated opticians. Yet, not everyone has the luxury of easy access to an optometrist or the means to afford a new pair of glasses. 

Recognizing this, Lions Club member Josh McIntyre is on a mission to make vision care more accessible. By providing eyeglasses to those in need, he’s helping people see the world with newfound clarity
and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to experience life through a clearer lens. 

As a New York State registered optician, Josh has a passion for helping people see by providing them the right prescription. He was inspired by his grandfather-in-law Lion John Banach PDG (past district governor) to join the Lions Club. The Lions Club is the world’s largest service organization, with more than 1.4 million members. They have several global causes with vision being one of them. 

Because of his occupation, Josh saw the Lions Club as the perfect way to help serve his community. “I saw it as a great opportunity to bring some of the knowledge and services that I can provide to the Lions Club,” shared Josh. 

He found inspiration when the non-profit organization Remote Area Medical (RAM) visited the Hudson Falls area. 

This organization provides similar health services and Josh thought, “If they can do this nationally, why can’t we do this locally?” 

He then began researching and reached out to another Lions Club in Niagara Falls. They invited him to one of their clinics where they were able to provide people with a no-questions-asked eye exam.
The exam provides people with a new or updated prescription which they can use to order the needed glasses. 

From there they are given the choice of a frame and then a date when their glasses will be ready. This is an incredible resource for people who need an updated prescription or can’t afford to replace old frames. “It gives them the opportunity to pick out new frames versus using the old ones that may not be well fit or ruined and glued together,” explained Josh. 

The clinic was a huge success and had an impact on hundreds of people. “This is something that is very rewarding seeing the amount of people that needed the glasses. We ordered 90 pairs of glasses within 6 hours,” Josh shared. 

He went on to say, “That’s about 90 people that couldn’t or didn’t have eyeglasses, [their] most recent prescription, and/or any prescription, are now going to be able to have that vision again.” 

In order to meet the needs of the mass amounts of people that need new glasses, Josh also participates in another program that reuses old frames. As people get new prescriptions and need to change their glasses, they often end up with older pairs that are still in excellent condition. 

Collection boxes for these old frames are located all throughout Glens Falls such as at optometrist and ophthalmologist offices, Crandall Library’s park entrance, banks, and Walmart. 

After the glasses are collected, Josh removes the old lenses and fits them with new prescriptions tailored to the needs of each individual. He can create both single vision lenses, used for either distance or reading, and bifocal lenses, which are convenient for people who need correction for both near and far vision. 

Currently, he has 300 pairs of frames that people can pick from. This not only provides people with something they need, but allows them to have a say in their appearance which is a huge confidence booster. They are able to see clearly and feel good about the way they look at the same time. 

The success he’s seen through these programs has inspired Josh to begin working on bringing a clinic to the Glens Falls area. 

“It’s inspiring me to bring that to the East side of New York, mostly in Glens Falls but not limited to Glens Falls,” Josh said. 

He wants to help even more people locally and even expand in the future to the Schroon Lake and Salem, New York region. If you’re interested in helping community members gain access to better vision care, consider dropping off your old frames in one of the donation boxes. 

This program is just one of the many ways the Lions Club helps the community and serves those in the area. For more information, please contact Josh at gflionjosh@gmail.com 

Photos Provided.

As a small business owner, one thing we understand is the importance of time management. 

Even with meticulous planning of our days, we can quickly find our lists of “To Do’s” pile up faster than we can blink, and we can find ourselves stressed out in the moment. What does stress do to our physical and mental health? When we experience stress in prolonged periods of time our physical and mental health suffers. We start to feel the effects of stress in not being able to concentrate, experiencing digestive issues, our heartbeat may rise along with other tightness and tension in various areas of our body. These symptoms indicate a dysregulation in our nervous system and our body needs a reset. 

When stress happens here are five things you can do to help with all the emotions and overwhelming thoughts you may experience. 

1. Sleep 

Adults should strive for 7-9 hours of sleep a night. Studies show anything less than 6 hours a night can cause mental distress. The first question I ask when beginning an initial therapy session with someone is how their sleep is. Did you know that REM sleep is what restores and heals our mind and body? So without adequate sleep our body and mind cannot function at full capacity. 

2. Sunlight 

Improves our physical and mental health. Research shows that the sun provides our mind and body with Vitamin D for bone health, increases serotonin for a calm mood, and melatonin for adequate sleep. We need 15-20 minutes of sunlight a day for optimal health. Living in the northeast we experience long, gloomy winters. To help make sure we get adequate sunlight, buying a Light Therapy Lamp is highly effective to supplement the dark, frigid days. I use this lamp in my office daily to ensure I am getting what I need in vital nutrients. 

3. Unplug and Get Moving 

Put your phone and other electronic devices on “do not disturb,” and take a 20 minute walk. Unplugging from technology for 20 minutes and walking is a terrific way to reset our nervous system. 

4. Grounding Techniques 

Help people become aware of the present moment, by doing so an immediate reduction of the intensity of our emotions decreases. Our bodies react well before our brains catch up. When we engage in grounding techniques, we get our brain and nervous system communicating with one another. An example is utilizing your senses to get your mind and body communicating with one another in the present moment. For example, identifying three things you see, three things you hear, and three things you feel as in physical touch. Other grounding techniques that I teach are listening to music, breathing exercises, and guided imagery. 

5. Hobbies

 Doing things that bring us joy. To keep our peace in mind and body it is necessary for us to not lose sight of what energizes and rejuvenates us, so that we can keep moving forward to our next goals. So read for pleasure, engage in some art, do your favorite exercise or sport. Anything that brings peace and joy to your day is what enhances your nervous system to recognize these positive emotions. 

In conclusion, as entrepreneurs we have had to master the art of time management. By incorporating these five tips into our daily lives, we can build a solid routine that nourishes our physical and mental wellbeing. When we are our best version of ourselves, we can put all our creative drive and passion into the small businesses we love.

Disclaimer: This article is a whole health approach and not meant to treat any specific diagnosis.  

Six years ago, Marilyn Rivers’ birthday dinner was interrupted by a crisis—a lightning strike had hit Saratoga Town Hall, setting off a chain of events that would help shape her career. In the midst of the celebration, Marilyn—then the Director of Risk and Safety for the City of Saratoga Springs—was called into action. As town officials began to assess the immediate aftermath, all eyes turned to her for guidance. 

Thanks to her meticulous planning and expert strategies, the damages were minimized, avoiding a potential catastrophe. Today, Marilyn channels that same expertise into her own venture, Rivers Risk Consulting, where she helps businesses navigate the unpredictable waters of risk management.

Despite her impressive achievements, Marilyn never thought she would go into the risk management industry. Initially, she set out to be a science teacher, earning her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Clarkson University and her master’s degree in secondary education from Tufts University. She then began working at a local insurance company where she had an experience that motivated her to begin
a career in risk management. 

“An individual made the mistake of telling me that I did not know what I was talking about relative to an insurance issue,” Marilyn explained, “I decided then and there to undertake the very long road of obtaining my globally recognized credentials in Insurance and Risk Management.” 

Over the next few years, Marilyn spent hours working towards expanding her credentials and building an impressive resume in the risk management field. She earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) from the American Institute of CPCU. She also received her associate’s in risk management (ARM) and in claims (AIC) from Insurance Institute of America as well. 

“Those designations, coupled with my Bachelors in Chemistry and my Masters in Secondary Education, enable me to triage analytically – kind of like Columbo in risk,” Marilyn said. 

In addition to her educational development, Marilyn also has years of work experience adding to her credibility and expertise in the field. She worked for the City of Saratoga Springs for 20 years, during which she managed the city’s operations relationships with local, state, and federal regulatory agencies. She also helped create and implement employee health and safety programs and much more. Throughout her career, Marilyn’s passion for risk management has continued to grow. 

“Risk management is a tremendously rewarding profession. No one day is ever the same,” she shared, “Risk management is a wonderful four-dimensional spinning ball full of energy, ideas, and opportunity.
Learning how to effectively practice, mitigate, and manage risk enables us to seize opportunities as they present themselves, maintain a healthy and safe working environment, and cost-effectively conduct our businesses.”

As her career progressed, Marilyn achieved success at the national level. In 2007, she was nominated and chosen by the Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) as the Public Risk Manager of the Year. That same year, her son was graduating from Virginia Tech— a campus that was recovering from the recent tragic shooting. 

Affected by the emotion from her son’s experience, Marilyn was able to channel those feelings in a positive way as she gave her acceptance speech to a full room of people in Boston. To this day, she reflects on that moment as a defining point in her career. 

“I asked for our profession to do better, reach higher and unite in the common goal of excellence in understanding and appreciating that our differences make us stronger. I received a very lengthy standing ovation and many new friends. My national journey began that day and has expanded across ‘the pond,’ as they say. To this day, I teach webinars, produce podcasts and provide education for public risk managers across the country. My PRIMA Family keeps me grounded and teaches me new risk ideas every day,” Marilyn shared. 

Her reputation and expertise led many people to call on her for help, even after a brief retirement in April, 2023. She realized that because she was still helping so many people, it made sense to start her own business. In July, 2023, Rivers Risk Consulting began, and Marilyn has loved continuing her work. 

“Folks don’t understand what risk is and often don’t find any value in its practice. That in itself is what makes risk management an amazing career. Each business interaction is an opportunity to change the course of business and governance in a positive way,” she said. 

When Marilyn helps any business, she always takes the time to learn about where they are currently and makes the most out of the resources they already have. She recognizes that every situation and business is different, and develops her plans accordingly. Going forward, she hopes to continue educating and helping people. 

“I hope to expand risk management educational opportunities nationally and internationally. I use LinkedIn as a teaching tool and get quite a lot of positive feedback when I take an issue and break it down for discussion so folks can begin to understand risk, how it’s mitigated, and the opportunities that present themselves in the most difficult of circumstances,” she shared. 

When Marilyn is not working, she spends a lot of her time volunteering, as she has a passion for helping others. She serves as the President of the Glens Falls Lions Club. 

“We are embarking on a new vision program for the underserved, working with the United Way on the ‘Kids with Packs Program’ and Family Services ‘Feet First Program,’” she shared. 

In addition to the Lions Club, Marilyn spends every Wednesday morning feeding and caring for the cats rescued by the North Shore Animal League. She also loves seeing her grandchildren and is very proud of her son. 

“He’s a super smart gent with a wonderful family. He now practices strategic risk management as the Chief Functional Engineer for Rolls Royce in Indianapolis. That in itself makes my risk journey the most rewarding of all,” she said. 

For more information about Rivers Risk Consulting, please visit: RiversRiskConsulting.com.