DMAWEF
DMAW Educcational Foundation
"May
you have all the Irish blessings"
DMAW
Stalwart Mike O'Hara Passes
Mike O'Hara, honorary lifetime
member of DMAW, died on the morning of May 14. Mike was a
stalwart supporter of and beloved contributor to DMAW for
over 40 years. He served as DMAW president in 1992, and in
1998 was named DMAW's Professional of the Year (since
renamed the Distinguished Achievement in Direct Marketing).
In 2007, Mike was awarded the Sisk Award for Direct
Marketing Vision. In addition, Mike served on the DMAW
Educational Foundation board for over 10 years.
Mike started the AB&C Group, a direct response
processing company, as a one-person business in 1972. The
company became a powerhouse in the direct marketing
industry, serving many of the nation’s most prominent
catalog and nonprofit marketers and employing over 500
staff members when Mike sold the company in 2006.
In 2008, the O’Hara Leadership Award in Education was
created to honor Mike’s lifelong commitment to education,
which earned him an honorary Ph.D. from Shepherd University
in 2000. He provided financial support that helped hundreds
of AB&C Group staff members earn college degrees and
participate in continuing education programs. As chairman
of the Rice University Society of Family Friends, he led
nationwide fundraising efforts that resulted in a record
gift-giving year. He also served on the board to raise
money for building the Children First School in West
Virginia.
In announcing Mike's selection as Professional of the Year
in 1992, Sherry Marshall, former DMAW executive director
and a longtime personal friend of Mike’s, wryly alluded to
Mike’s well known fashion flair, saying, "Working quietly
behind the scenes -- where he can be easily overlooked
because of his unusually conservative attire -- Mike O'Hara
has been a steadfast supporter of DMAW for decades.”
Marshall continued, saying, “We are fortunate for his good
sense, good humor, generosity, and unflagging commitment to
DMAW’s mission. He believes that DMAW is not just an
association, it is an association of people, and that we
all benefit from the relationships we form over the years.
He brings not only vision but strength to the organization,
and to everyone who has benefited from it."
In 2007, Mike joined such direct marketing greats as Lester
Wunderman, Martin Bayer, Lillian Vernon, Morris Dees,
Austin Kiplinger, Roger Craver, and Richard Viguerie in
being awarded the Sisk Award for Direct Marketing Vision.
In her tribute to Mike on that occasion, 2002 DMAW
President Virginia Fleischman wrote the following: "Mike
O'Hara joins some of the best and brightest of our industry
when he receives the Sisk Award for Direct Marketing Vision
from the DMAW Educational Foundation. The spyglass given to
Sisk Award recipients is emblematic of the exploration each
individual made in becoming an industry leader …Mike's
brand of ‘high-touch’ fulfillment underscores how much he
deserves to be the 2007 Sisk Award recipient … I feel that
Mike O'Hara simply is ‘Mr. DMAW.’ …Mike understood that his
clients' success hinged on meeting or exceeding the
expectations of clients' customers. By the time he sold it,
the AB&C Group was a major order-processing and
fulfillment company with multi-million dollar sales. His
vision and commitment to his clients account for a great
deal of the company's success. Mike viewed his customers
and suppliers alike as part of his ‘clan,’ and believed
that, by working together, the clan could achieve success.
…His commitment to our industry and his willingness to
pitch in and lend a hand, are truly inspiring.”
In words of tribute following his death, Fleischman echoed
much of the correspondence and conversation exchanged in
the direct marketing community. "Mike was a unique and
special soul. He was devoted to his friends, family, and
clan. Larger than life in many ways, he unfortunately met a
challenge he could not overcome with his smarts, charm, and
hard work. His illness was an opponent he fought with
determination, humor, and reality. For many of us it was an
honor to have him as a friend. He will be missed indeed.”