Three Toots on Hitting the Big Five-0

By now, those who know us, know that PondelWilkinson turns 50 this year.

A half-century is a long time for any company to be in business. Throughout those five decades, while we have tooted the horns of our clients—we have not tooted our own. So, please allow me this rare exception to make three little toots:

First, a toot to the firm’s founder and my former boss, Mel Rifkind, 93, who kicked things off in 1968, when I was still in school and had not the foggiest idea that our kind of business even existed. Mel was a pioneer in our industry, who founded our firm on four principles that remain at our core today: apply sound thinking to meet unique client challenges; attract the best talent, regardless of position; deliver quality, responsive service; and always operate in a respectful and ethical manner.

Second, a toot to our clients and all associated with our firm for the confidence you continue to place in our organization.

And third, a deep personal thanks to our loyal, talented, hard-working staff, the best professionals in our industry, and to those who have served us in the past, of course including my late partner of 25 years, Cecilia Wilkinson. People are our only assets, our secret sauce, and our treasures.

Now for the fun stuff. What else happened in 1968, the year our firm was founded?

• Sixty Minutes made its debut on CBS.
• Apollo 8, the second manned spacecraft, orbited another world, the moon, for the first time.
• The Special Olympics held its first event.
• Our very own trade association was born, NIRI.
• Sadly, Martin Luther King Jr., 39, and Robert Kennedy, 42, were assassinated.
• The 911 Emergency Line was launched.
• The Big Mac was introduced for 49-cents.
• President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act.
• A few famous people were born: Will Smith; Naomi Watts; Hugh Jackman; Marc Anthony; Ashley Judd; Molly Ringwald; Gary Coleman; Josh Brolin; Cuba Gooding Jr.; Dodgers Hideo Nomo, Frank Thomas and Mike Piazza.
• Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles and Led Zeppelin had the best-selling albums.
• The most popular movies were The Graduate, Funny Girl and Planet of the Apes.

Roger Pondel, rpondel@pondel.com