Harry A. Strausser, 51, works for Action Management, Inc..
He has a Cool Job as a President/CEO.

His Gig:
"After being discharged from the United States Navy following the Korean war, things in the United States were tough and we were in a recession. I had to pay $300 to an employment agency to get my job. I started with Beneficial Finance Corporation, a large international company in the business of making and collecting loans. I started with them at $48 a week and worked my way up through the ranks managing in several location in the US. Through working at Beneficial Finance Corporation I became very interested in the savings and loans industry," he said.

After about 8 years of intensive work and training, Strausser was recognized and promoted to Regional Advertising and Sales Director, one of 12 with Beneficial Finance Corporation. That provided him with new vistas and new horizons, enabling him to travel all over the United States.

"In turn I was able to meet very interesting people and become educated in many different cultures, as well as business practices. It was an unusual and wonderful opportunity to gain knowledge in the profession that I chose," he said.

A Day In The Life Of:
As president, CEO, and chairman of the board, Strausser rises at 5:30am and has a light breakfast and reads three major newspapers. He then comes to work and his staff has already prepared the reports for his review from the previous day. He checks on work assignments, reviews financial statements, meets with the head of various departments, attends daily legal meetings, and monitors the 68 attorneys employed for Action Management, Inc. throughout the United States.

"That is usually a full-time job to the point where I do not get a chance to get online nor can I even turn on my computer anymore. I interact daily with attorneys on cases and spend a great deal of time reviewing briefs and legal documents. I see to it that the staff is productive and that work gets done a daily basis," he said.

Career Path:
Regrettable Strausser has never had the opportunity to have an internship, however after 15 years with Beneficial, he made a career change to the savings and loan industry. He spent 17 years as an advertising sales director/business development director/ collections supervisor, and an officer of the corporation for Central Pennsylvania Saving Association of Shamokin Pennsylvania. Beneficial and Central Pennsylvania Savings are the only two jobs that he has had in his lifetime. While at Central Pennsylvania Savings, he had an opportunity to start Action Management, Inc. His late wife and I started Action Management in approximately 1973 and Incorporated in 1976.

High Five:
"Perhaps it can be best described as a challenge in whether or not one is worthy to meet the different challenges daily. It is the ability to formulate a program that is successful and that others in the industry think is a worthwhile venture. Using ingenuity and creativeness to exploring into an industries future is exciting. Perhaps being recognized in ones field as being an expert is also very gratifying however it takes a lifetime of achievement. It is pleasing to be the invited guest of the ěPremiere of Australiaî and to be invited by the president of the United States. It opens opportunities to travel, see different cultures and to meet very interesting and exciting people. To have risen from the youngster growing up in the coal region with no formal education, to the steps of parliament and world travel is mind boggling to me."

Down Low:
"It has taken me a lifetime to achieve what degree of success I have achieved however, it seems that I think I am finally getting it right and now I am running out of time. The time to spend in the job that I love and want to continue, but nature has taken its course. The downside is also interacting with other people and studying their personalities. Some people can be motivated while others are not. Some are intelligent while others are not. Sometimes one feels that he has to be a psychologist and a psychiatrist to understand behavioral patterns of some people. However it has been established many years ago in the management field that a successful man surrounds himself with good people and I feel I have been reasonable successful in doing so."

Wish List:
"I have climbed a lot of mountains and have a great deal of satisfaction in what I have done, particularly in the last few years. My wish list perhaps is that my late wife would be here to see the success of Action Management, Inc. since she was the original president and she was the strength and the strong foundation of our organization right from the start. I wish to be remembered as making a meaningful contribution to my industry and to have done it honestly and with high degree of integrity."

Words from the Wise :
"Willpower! Learn everything you can about what you are doing. Be an expert in your field. Achieve a masterís degree in whatever you pursue. When you are in a group, be a leader, never a follower. When others take the journey to walk 100 steps, you walk 103 steps. Do just a little more each day. Never underestimate yourself. Reach for the stars. To succeed means different things to different people. What makes you happy is then true success. Perhaps you would be interested in a short story that offers inspiration. Soon after I started in business, my mother, who possesses great wisdom found an article in the newspaper, and I have carried it with me ever since. The author is unknown and it states, ěSome men are born great, but the man who rolls up his sleeves and wades into greatness, commands the most respect."

Education:
"I am a high school graduate. I have attended the University of Georgia on two different occasions for management seminars and Bloomsburg University for many courses. Beyond that it is self taught. I have always wanted to gain as much knowledge in my profession therefore I discipline myself to read at least three major newspapers a day, read every journal and book on the subject that I can lay my hands on, and to be as professional as I can by always seeking new and innovative programs in my field," he said.