Author: Robert W. Zinnecker
Located in: Penfield, New York
Submitted: May 08, 2013
Tell us a little about yourself. I am is a 55-year veteran of the telecommunications industry. I spent 33 years with CONTEL Corporation managing operations in Michigan, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado. In 1983, I came to New York as President of CONTEL of New York. In 1991, I became President of the New York State Telecommunications Association in Albany and remained there until my retirement in 1998. I currently operate a consulting service providing practical management assistance for todays changing world.
I am active in civic, religious and industry organizations. I am a member of the Board of Directors of Empire Telephone Corp. and the North Penn Telephone Co. I am a Senior Certified Professional Manager and Charter Member of The Institute of Certified Professional Managers, and the Independent Telephone Pioneer Association. My wife and I attend Penfield Wesleyan Church where I am a member of the Local Board of Administration and Assistant Business Manager. I am a mentor for SCORE and frequently participate in workshops and seminars on the subject of Business Planning.
I am the author of Acquisition (2011) and Sell Out (2013), Christian fictional novels set in the telecommunications industry. I have also written numerous articles and devotionals that have been published in religious and business media.
I have four grown children and eight grandchildren. I and my wife, Elaine, reside in Penfield, NY.
What was your motivation behind this project? I wrote in the hope that this fictional story about a driven executives search for a more meaningful life could help others find a new purpose for their life through faith in Jesus Christ. As a telecommunications executive for 50 years, I found that anything I accomplished was due to arranging my priorities around my faith, my family and the company I worked for. Wilson McCann, the main character in Acquisition hasnt done that. Now his company is gone and he is searching for a new focus. He moves to a small town in Michigan, similar to the one I grew up in and populated with characters similar to those I knew. Once there, he finds himself being drawn in different directions by people from his past, including Wall Street movers and shakers, politicians and corporate wheeler dealers. He also meets new friends and associates whose priorities are different than his. All of us resist change and McCann is no different. He continues to resist a growing awareness that he needs a new faith until a series of losses literally drive him to his knees.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I hope that their lives will be changed by finding a new priority for their lives and the greatest acquisition a person can make - faith in God through Jesus Christ.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? I had to continually refresh what was important in my own life and try to keep my priorities of faith, family and career in proper perspective.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? My favorite author is Jack Higgins. I have been inspired by many of the people whom I have had the privilege of working with. Several of the characters in "Acquisition" are based on these people.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: I have just published a sequel to "Acquisition" entitled "Sell Out".
