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Today's Featured Biography

 
William Gifford

OK, I'll post a bio because life is good regardless of the not-so-good.

I grew up on the family farm in Gansevoort being the oldest of eight kids (with 1 bathroom). You would think that with five sisters I would understand women pretty well, but you already know the folly of that thought.

I loved the booming metropolis of Gansevoort and was dismayed when they put a Stewarts Shop in town (what next? a McDonalds? a Traffic light?!) Anyway, while growing up in the country I always thought about what it must be like in the city. I had preconceived ideas that all my friends that lived in the city of South Glens Falls lived in big houses with housekeepers, butlers, color TVs, 2 or 3 cars and were going to sporting events and the movies every weekend...

So I dreamed of getting a college degree, moving to a city and working for a large corporation in the financial field.

Well, after South High, I went to SUNY Delhi (along with Matt Clear and Bill Hicks). I was a pre-veterinary science major (because of my farm back ground). After a year and a half, I transferred to Cornell and changed my major to Business Mgt & Mktg. A Wall Street investment firm named First Investors hired me and put me through thier training. I became licensed with the NASD in August 1982 (the Dow Jones was at 782 the day I passed my securities exam!). After two years the company promoted me to Division Mgr. and moved me to Sarasota, FL to take over a failing office. It was supposed to be a temporary assignment. After two years in Sarasota, they gave me the Orlando office followed by the Tampa and St Petersburg offices.

Being the maverick that I am, I left the company after 6 years of being a manager and training people in the investment management business. I believed I could do better for my clients by being independent. I formed Jacob Gifford & Associates, an investment management and planning firm, on 1/1/1991 and have grown my business since. My three associates (in Long Island) and I manage around $200,000,000 in assets (so you see, I still handle stock but I don't have to milk them twice a day).

I married late because I was always planning on moving back to New York and wanted to marry someone from the area I was raised... figured we would be more on the same page with the facts of life, so to speak. But life throws curve balls at you and you have to swing hard anyway (you may connect and hit that home run... ya never know.). One of my brothers died in a car crash somewhere in Fort Ann on a dark lonely road on 4/13/1989. It was then I thought life needed to be lived with the people around you.

I got married shortly after to a woman from New Mexico. We had a son, Ryland, in January 1994. She left three months later and I was on my own again growing a company and raising my son.

I incorporated my business in 1998 and it continued to grow... along with my family when I married a daughter of one of my clients (nice perk). I now have three children (Jenny 1991, Ryland 1994, and Luke 2000). My wife, Joan, is my admin assistant and keeps me well organized.

One of my hobbies is conducting small commercial fireworks displays. My family and I sponser and organize the Town of Gansevoort 4th of July parade and fireworks display every year. Please come and see a true smalltown American celebration.

I travel to New York 5 to 7 times a year and spend 4 to 20 days in the Saratoga/Gansevoort/Glens Falls area... mostly to see family and service clients.

If you ever want to get a dose of sunshine and beach time during the winter, give me a call and we'll put you up in sunny Florida!

I'm tired now, but I believe I need to smooth up this bio a bit... bye for now and remember, "Life is good".

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