"People don't do business with a business," said David Director '81, president of Connecticut Lighting Centers. "They do business with people."

The company, which was founded by family members and taken over by Director's father in 1972, focuses on customer service. "If we're in a meeting and a customer needs to see me, I leave the meeting," Director said. "The customers pay the bills; I don't want anyone to forget that."

Director took over as president in 1984, but says he maintains his father's philosophy of putting employees first. "I learned from my dad that our employees are our No. 1 asset," he said.

Many of his employees have been with the company for years. "When my dad took over the business more than 30 years ago, one of the first things he did was set up profit sharing, pensions, medical benefits-unusual in retail at that time. Everyone told him he was nuts, but he was looking at the long term. And he was right."

Director knew in high school that he wanted to pursue the family business. "This field is dynamic, always changing, very diverse," he said. "I still put in 70 hours a week, and I never do the same thing two days in a row."

Despite his busy schedule, Director still makes time for community activities, serving on the boards of several nonprofit organizations. "During my time at Quinnipiac, we were always encouraged to see the world as a whole," he said. "I believe that if you receive from a community, you need to give back."