Excellence award caps an 'unbelievable year'

By STEPHEN CLARK
Observer-Dispatch

Ever since financial planner Dave M. Gibson put his 2003 Christmas present, a statue of Lord Ganesh - the Hindu elephant-headed god of knowledge and remover of obstacles - behind his office desk at Smith Barney, he said he has had an amazing streak of success.

In 2004, he said his business grew more than 30 percent. This year, Gibson shot a hole in one at a July 4th golf tournament that won him a six-day vacation in Ireland. His wife, Sandy, is pregnant with their third child. And now, Gibson is one of the 2005 Accent on Excellence award honorees.

"This has been an unbelievable year," he said.

Denise Cavanaugh, executive director of the YWCA of the Mohawk Valley, nominated Gibson for the award after he organized Riggiefest, a fundraiser for the YWCA that gives awards for the best chicken riggies made by local restaurants. Gibson sought to raise awareness of the Mohawk Valley through the event.

"I really felt his enthusiasm and community spirit to do an event that would put Utica on the map and help a nonprofit," said Cavanaugh, who's known Gibson for about seven years. "It's not every day you find a business person who has a unique idea to benefit the community. I thought all those reasons made him a perfect candidate."

Sandi Gibson, who stopped by his office during an interview, said, "We're very proud of him - especially (for organizing) Riggiefest. He's definitely deserving of the award."

David Gibson didn't grow up in the Mohawk Valley (he is from Princeton, N.J.). He said he loves the area and doesn't plan on going anywhere for at least the next 20 years, raising his three children.

"There's a lot of great things going for (the area)," he said. "I just feel we need to do something to make this area better economically."

May's Riggiefest drew more than 2,000 people and raised more than $12,000.

"Riggiefest is bringing people to Central New York," Gibson said, adding that he hopes many will find reasons to stay.

Gibson admitted he organized the event partly to help grow his own practice.

"As far as Riggiefest, you can say I'm a selfish in a way that I'm a business guy, that I want to see more businesses in the area," he said, calling it a win-win situation built through interrelationships. "I may be selfish, but it benefits everyone."

Gibson's mission of building interrelationships is not limited to the Mohawk Valley. He's planning a fundraiser to help build a hospital in Ghana, Africa, that also would strengthen his network of connections.

"One of the things I've learned is a lot of life is about who you know, not what you know," said |Gibson, lamenting how that |notion wasn't taught during his upbringing. "It's all interrelationships."

Surrounding the Lord Ganesh statue in his office are sports memorabilia, including a New England Patriots helmet |signed by the late Johnnie Cochran and Jack Kemp at the 2002 Super Bowl in New Orleans, an autographed Mario Lemieux jersey and a signed photo of Wayne Gretzky, whom he met at Pebble Beach in California at the 2000 U.S Open golf tournament.
"I'm living a good life," Gibson said.