Hotchkiss, Keith

Education: Ohio University

First Job: Mapleside Farms, picking apples and making cider

Toughest Challenge: Keeping employees prepared for change. It’s inevitable and exciting ... if you’re ready.

Greatest Inspiration: Those who help others — social workers, teachers, first responders and nurses. They do the tough jobs that allow the rest of us to enjoy our quality of life.

How I Motivate Others: I try really hard to be in the trenches. I’m a DJ. I go on sales calls. I help set up folding chairs at events, and I try to give everyone the chance to try, even if he or she might fail.

Best Advice: Be curious. If you ask a lot of questions, you’ll learn a lot about how things work and how people tick.

Important Lesson Learned: Never make a rule you can’t enforce. People won’t respond when you actually need something.