Fifty years ago I founded National Professional Resources. In 1968, I could have never imagined where the company would be today. I am immensely proud of how the company has grown, while always remaining true to our mission of providing practical resources to help educators meet the needs of all students, particularly those with significant educational challenges. Over the years, we have remained on the cusp of the most exciting and important developments in the fields of general and special education– and my how times have changed. In the late 60s, inclusion as a practice was a novel and controversial concept. Today, it’s the law. It’s heartening to look back at how far we’ve come.
It’s also nostalgic for me to look back at how we’ve come as a business. In our earliest days, when I was still working full time as the director of special education for Southern Westchester BOCES, we published newsletters to reach educators. Following my retirement from BOCES in 1986, our focus shifted to producing videos. It was during this period that our now president, Joseph Casbarro, became intimately involved with the company. Joe, who I had worked with at Southern Westchester BOCES and who was still a special education administrator at the time, quickly became our in-house expert on video production. Together, he and I interviewed some of the most noteworthy thought leaders of the day, including Thomas Lickona (character education), Howard Gardner (multiple intelligences), Daniel Goleman (emotional intelligence) and Peter Salovey (emotional intelligence). Our video productions featured experts such as these discussing theory, interspersed with classroom footage illustrating practical applications.
In the 1990s we entered the book publishing scene, under the imprint of Dude Publishing. Our books paralleled the topical areas of our videos, with initial focus on character education, social emotional learning, response to intervention (RTI), and autism.
Today, NPR, Inc. is perhaps most well known for our quick-reference laminated guides. We were among the first to publish in this format for the education market, and the response has been extraordinary. We now offer nearly 150 titles on a wide range of general and special education topics, written by leaders in the field.
As our product lines evolved, so did our operations. After literally building the business out of my basement, we moved into an office suite and adjoining warehouse in Port Chester, NY in 1995. Soon after we staffed up in Port Chester, my wife, Helene, joined the team upon retiring from her administrative position at Southern Westchester BOCES. Our daughter Angela joined the (now) family business in 2006, serving as vice president of marketing until the birth of her daughter in 2011. Shortly after she left, our second daughter, Lisa, moved back to NY from Washington, DC, and joined the company as well.
In 2013, we streamlined and moved our warehouse and administrative offices to Naples, FL. Since that time, Joe has taken the reins, first as COO, now as president. Having been a full time consultant for the company since 2006, and having worked with me at the business for decades while he was still a school administrator, Joe was the natural and only choice to proceed me.
Helene and I remain intimately involved with the company, though we have tried to slow down and enjoy retirement and our grandchildren Allison (6) and Robert Joseph (5) since the business relocated to Florida. Lisa continues to work full time for the company from New York, and Angela has begun putting in a few half days a week now that her children are in school. Our NY-based team also includes Andrea Cerone, who has been with the company for over 20 years, doing layout for all of our publications, and Jaclyn Falk, who has built our wonderful website and contributes exceptional graphic design.
The family aspect of the business has also expanded to include the Casbarro family with Joe’s wife, Georgina, and daughter Kalyn also joining the team. Joe has assembled an outstanding team in Naples, including Operations Manager Mark Micheel and Customer Service Specialist Linda Kehoe. I try to make it down to Florida every few months, and often meet up with Joe and George at conferences throughout the country. At 90 years old, I’d say I’m doing pretty well!
Thank you for indulging me in this trip down memory lane. It is quite a legacy, but it has been a team effort. I am grateful every day for all that I have built, in business with National Professional Resources, and in life, with my beautiful family. I recognize how fortunate I am to be able to say I feel genuinely fulfilled in my life’s work.
Last but certainly not least, I wish to express my profound admiration and appreciation for the talented and dedicated educators throughout the country who serve all students, but in particular those with special needs. Thank you for all you do. My goal has always to been to provide resources to help you excel at your jobs. I am grateful to those who have given our company that opportunity.
