By: Brenton Finizio
Imagine this: a proud member of our nation’s Armed Forces finishes a nice meal with his wife in a local restaurant. He calls the waiter over to his table, grabs for his wallet and asks politely for the check.
The waitress quietly responds, “Sir, your check has been taken care of,” the waitress quietly responds.
The man in uniform, puzzled, looks over his left shoulder and then his right. He looks for a sign, a wave or a nod. The patron remains as camouflaged like the uniform he proudly wears about his person.
If you are a part of our nation’s Armed Forces, law enforcement or first responders, then you might have had the same experience while going to pay for a meal, coffee, or donut - especially if Michael Wheeler happens to be in visual proximity of the stars and stripes stitched on the sleeve of your uniform.
Michael Wheeler, a Le Moyne College graduate of ’96 who graduated summa cum laude with a degree in business administration, has all too often found himself being that patron who quietly goes unnoticed by the bewildered eyes and smiles of service men and women across local restaurants and coffee shops.
While taking 12 credit hours as a Le Moyne student, Michael was also working an astonishing 50 hours per week. Throughout all of this, he still found time to do service for others.
“I was inspired to still find a way to be of service or to help others,” Wheeler said. “So, while not being able to volunteer on a regular basis or in a more formal setting due to my workload, Le Moyne inspired me to act whenever and however I could…”
He brought this inspiration from his college days not only into restaurants, but also into small businesses across Syracuse.
Michael is currently the corporate treasurer and chief financial officer of Har-Rob Fire Apparatus in East Syracuse, New York State's leading provider of service and equipment for the Fire and Rescue Community.
Michael has been part of the company for 25 years and has been a partner for 17 years. His hard work and dedication has helped the business recently relocate to an 18,000 square foot facility.
His dedication to helping local small businesses is now a large part of Michael’s service to the community. Michael was awarded by the NFIB, National Federation of Independent Business, in 2009 as the Solveras/NFIB 2009 Small Business Champion.
“Michael Wheeler has been a tireless voice in defense of small business in New York and a true leader among his peers,” said Mike Elmendorf, NFIB/New York state director.
Michael’s continued work with the NFIB and small businesses has all been volunteer work that he somehow finds time to balance between Har-Rob Fire Apparatus and spending time with his wife Katie Wheeler and their Bernese Mountain Dog, Cloey.
“I think it is important to give to others because it helps to keep us not only humble, but acts as a reminder that no matter how difficult your day may be, or even your life at that particular moment in time, that someone else is usually dealing with problems or situations far more serious or difficult than what you are facing,” Michael said.
If you happen to see a military or service member walking out of the door of a local eatery wide-eyed and smiling cheerfully or a small business owner thanking a customer for another day’s business, Michael Wheeler may be just around the corner blending in with the community.
Read more about Ignation Values at Le Moyne from:
Andrew Lunetta Mike Malera Michael Wheeler
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