BORN IN THE DISTRICT OF POGRADEC, ALBANIA, FEBRUARY 10, 1937 AND ARRIVED WITH MY MOTHER, ATHINA, AUGUST 4, 1938, IN CLEVELAND, OHIO. MY EDUCATION WAS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, GRADUATED FROM WEST TECH. HIGH SCHOOL, WITH A MAJOR IN COLLEGE PREPARATORY. LATER ATTENDED AND GRADUATED FROM IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY WITH MAJOR EMPHASIS IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE. WORKED IN VARIOUS ACCOUNTING POSITIONS AND LATER BECAME FINANCIAL CONTROLLER. IN 1978, PURCHASED A MANUFACTURING CO., FARCO, LOCATED IN ELYRIA, OHIO AND IN 1981 MOVED THE COMPANY TO CLEVELAND, OHIO AND STARTED ANOTHER COMPANY, PARAMOUNT METAL PRODUCTS THAT MANUFACTURED STEEL AUTOMOBILE SEAT FRAMES. SEVERAL YEARS LATER, I PURCHASED VANCO PRODUCTS, ANCHOR TEMPLATE DIE, AND ECONO- TOOL AND DIE. ALL THESE COMPANIES WERE LOCATED IN THREE SEPARATE BUILDINGS. TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE APPROXIMATELY 350,000 SQUARE FEET WITH EMPLOYMENT OF 300 PERSONNEL AT 1200 WEST 58TH STREET, CLEVELAND, OHIO. IN SEPTEMBER 1990, ALONG WITH OTHER ALBANIAN AMERICANS FROM THE NEW ENGLAND AREA RETURNED TO ALBANIA AND TOURED THE COUNTRY AND VISITED MANY CITIES AND THEN VISITED MY BIRTHPLACE, POGRADEC. I MET WITH ALL MY COUSINS AND HAD A HUGE FAMILY REUNION. STAYED IN ALBANIA A TOTAL OF 23 DAYS. LATER, RETURNED HOME TO CLEVELAND AND ALBANIA NEVER LEFT MY MIND. I IMMEDIATELY SENT MANY BOXES OF BASIC ITEMS SUCH AS FOOD AND CLOTHES. OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TOUR FORMED N.E.A.R.O., THE NEW ENGLAND ALBANIAN RELIEF ORGANIZATION. I IMMEDIATELY VOLUNTEERED AND BECAME A DIRECTOR WITH THE RESPONSIBILITY OF COLLECTING HUMANITARIAN AID FROM EVERYONE WEST OF JAMESTOWN, N.Y. TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. THE MASSACHUSETTS WAREHOUSE WOULD FOCUS ON THE NEW ENGLAND STATES, NEW YORK CITY, NEW JERSEY AND THE PHILADELPHIA AREA. CLEVELAND WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYONE ELSE. DURING THE LAST NINE YEARS, HUNDRED OF THOUSANDS OF BOOKS, HUNDREDS OF HOSPITAL BEDS, GURNEYS, MISC. DENTAL EQUIPMENT AND HOSPITAL SUPPLIES, SCHOOL TABLES, CHAIRS, DESKS, COMPUTERS, BLACKBOARDS, CHALK AND ONE (1) DODGE PICK -UP TRUCK WERE SHIPPED FROM THE CLEVELAND WAREHOUSE. WHEN THE AMBASSADOR ROLAND BIMO MOVED INTO HIS NEW OFFICE; DESKS, CHAIRS, FAX COPY MACHINES, AND TWO (2) COMPUTERS WERE DONATED TO THE NEW OFFICES OF THE ALBANIAN EMBASSY DURING AMBASSADOR ROLAND BIMO’S TENURE. IN ADDITION, BOXES OF OFFICE SUPPLIES WERE ALSO SHIPPED FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO TO WASHINGTON D.C. TO HELP THE NEW AMBASSADOR BEGIN HIS NEW DUTIES. TWO LIBRARIES WERE ESTABLISHED BY N.E.A.R.O., ONE IN POGRADEC, AND THE OTHER IN KORCE, ALBANIA. THOUSANDS OF BOOKS ARE STILL BEING SHIPPED TO THE NEWEST LIBRARY LOCATED IN KORCE, ALBANIA, AND THE PERSONNEL ARE PAID FROM THE CLEVELAND OFFICE. IN ADDITION, POTS, PANS AND OTHER MISC. COOKING UTENSILS WERE SHIPPED TO THE CHILDREN’S ORPHANAGES LOCATED THROUGHOUT ALBANIA. ALSO, MANY PACKAGES OF FOOD AND CLOTHES WERE SHIPPED TO VARIOUS NURSING HOMES. DURING THE FALL OF 1996, I WAS INDUCTED INTO MY HIGH SCHOOL’S HALL OF FAME. LATER IN OCTOBER 1998, I WAS AWARDED A MEDAL AS THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS FOR 1998 FROM MY UNIVERSITY, IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY. |
