Alumni Spotlight – Jerry Caslow ‘70

“Persistence and a strong sense of urgency about everything you do:” Those are the character traits Jerry Caslow says he took away from Susquehannock, which contributed to his successful business career.

By his account, much of that came from his participation in Warrior band and athletic programs. As a trombonist, he played in the SHS band for six years. Its director, Mr. Walker, challenged and inspired Jerry and instilled in him a life-long love of music. He sang in mixed chorus and played in the orchestra. He also performed with the Brodbecks community band, an organization in which he remains active.

Jerry was on the track team, running the half-mile and the two mile relay. “All we had was a path around the football field,” he recalls. “But it was a great experience.” He remembers his coaches and the influence they had on him as well. “Earl Caswell was a unique mentor to me,” he says. “He provided constant encouragement.” He talks about Nelson Alpaugh – a friend to this day – in the same way.

As Jerry reminisces, memories of his teachers go on: Carolyn Adams; Curtis Stermer; Pete Marks; Roberta Thoman; Tom Naylor; Don Blough; Thomas Kerrigan. Each had profound influence.

He remembers following the high school basketball team as among his fondest memories, particularly the 1968-69 team, one of Susquehannock’s best ever. He kept his passion for basketball and as an adult, he spent over ten years in the SYC youth program as an organizer and coach.

Jerry enrolled in Westminster College after graduation and considered studying political science. But he was good with numbers and thought his chances for gainful employment were better in business. In college, he played in the band, became active in student government, and was consistently on the Dean’s list.

After graduating from Westminster in 1974, he worked for GTE (now Verizon) in Erie as an internal auditor. While there, he earned an MBA from Gannon University. But by 1979, he’d had enough of the mega-corporate world and quit, taking some time to hitchhike around the country.

His roundabout route brought him to New Mexico, where he decided to return to Southern York County. He bought the family farm in Brodbecks (which he still owns as a “gentleman farmer”) and got a job as assistant controller for Hempt Brothers, a heavy construction firm in Camp Hill.  He found the construction business exciting and decided to make it his career.

In 1984, he joined Kinsley Construction as a staff accountant, but soon grew into leadership positions as Accounting Manager, Controller, and currently Vice President of Finance.

Jerry says that Kinsley’s growth into one of the top 200 construction firms in the country was “fun to watch.”  He says that what he enjoys most is applying organizational theory (his MBA concentration) to his job at Kinsley.

He serves on the board of directors of Strand-Capitol, Shadowfax Corporation, Stone Church Cemetery, and Southern York County School District Foundation.

Now married to Jane Sutton, a professor of Rhetoric and Communications at Penn State – York, he continues to live on the family farm on Caslow Lane.

Thanks to Jerry Caslow, a proud member of the Cass of 1970, for making us Warrior Proud.