By Jim Matalone
Long time outdoor advertising executive, David Schuenemeyer passed away this past week at the age of 71 while fighting his second battle with cancer.
David’s outdoor career started with Creative Displays in Lexington, Kentucky in the late 70’s. During his time with Creative, David worked in several markets being elevated to GM in Wichita Falls, Texas. After Creative Displays sold in early eighties, David joined with several former Creative Displays partners in Atlanta when they purchased Turner Outdoor. With Jim McLaughlin as GM, David became the sales manager. During his tenure there he built and trained a large and strong sales team that consistently outperformed the market. After Turner sold in late eighties, David teamed up again with Jim McLaughlin with his purchase of Peterson Outdoor to form POA and he served as VP of Sales. POA’s success in the nineties is well documented as being one of the best run outdoor companies of its time. David was an integral part of the success.
At Turner and POA, David was much more that a sales leader. He was a true mentor to just about everyone who worked with him. His dedicated, creative, selfless, and unassuming management style brought out the best in everyone.
After POA sold in 1996, instead of pursuing other opportunities at the pinnacle of his career, David elected to retire to devote all of his time and efforts to helping the homeless and less fortunate. He worked with many ministries over the years to provide food and basic necessities to people in need. Some of his work included soliciting grocery stores to make food donations which he would deliver to homeless food kitchens, food drives, developing community food gardens to serve homeless, and even picking up old billboard vinyls from billboard plants to make temporary tent shelters. He continued his humanitarian work all the way up to the last weeks of his life.
Even though David has been out of the OOH industry for well over 20 years, his impact on the industry is still felt through all the successful careers he helped developed. And long after David had retired, he was always happy to lend an ear and offer good advice to former colleagues and friends. Today, there people in all the major outdoor companies at all levels of management that will tell you they owe a great deal of their success to David. Most former colleagues would tell you that David was not only instrumental in their career success but also made them better people. He certainly did that for me.
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I did not know David, however, it sounds like
he was quite a guy. God Bless him.
Well said, Jim.
David was the wizard behind the curtain, rarely seeking accolades or recognition. He wasn’t always the most popular guy in the room. He challenged you to do better, to be better.
David wasn’t afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig into the minutiae. He stayed true to what worked, he stayed true to himself. I, like so many others, am blessed to have worked with him and received his guidance.
David was a friend and mentor to countless outdoor folks, myself included, who will admit their careers may not have turned out the way they did without him. He was one of the most creative thinkers I have ever met, and he taught us how to sell despite any circumstances, and how to overcome objections and challenges toward successful outcomes for our customers. He was also a great humanitarian who made a huge difference in the lives of those in need.
Three letters PSS. 🙂
Nicely written Jim. Thank you.
Schuenemeyer was a wonderful person with keen insight, compassion and a great sense of humor.
As much as he will be missed; I am certain he is now home.