Currently viewing the tag: "Thurmont Town Office"

Nancy Gearhart Rice, Thurmont

A way to take one’s mind off the troubled times we now live in is to relive the past with memories. I have called Thurmont my home since the 1950s, so there’s no doubt I’ve seen many changes. 

I went to Thurmont High School and learned along with students in grades 1-12, all in the same building. No bad memories stand out from my school years. I took schoolwork seriously and always aimed for good grades.

After high school, in 1962, I was hired by the town clerk, Mr. Guy Frushour, for the position of secretary in the Thurmont Town Office.  Although my job title was “secretary,” I wore many hats.

The town’s office building was fairly new, about five years old at that time and became my workplace for the next 25 years. I joined Pauline Firor and Annabelle Taylor in the front office. The public works department was headed by Bill Rice, superintendent, and the following workers: Joe Fraley, Dalton Perry, Harry Sharer, Paul Sweeney, Charles Willhide, Raymond Knott, Manuel Willard, Charles Yingling, Paul Shaffer, Johnny Robinson, Ellsworth Poole, and Kermit Riffle.

Mr. Frushour was a very frugal person, but he was easy to get along with and delighted in telling us stories of his life. He loved talking about his college years at Mount St. Mary’s College in Emmitsburg. He walked from Graceham to the college every day. Sometimes, he was fortunate enough to get a ride. He proudly told us how many footsteps it took to get there. He didn’t have a driver’s license or a car and walked to and from work each day. I would sometimes offer to drive him home, but he usually worked past quitting time.

The electricity and water bills were all computed and written by hand, without the use of adding machines. We had a good supply of scrap paper on which to do the computations. Annabelle would take cards that she had prepared ahead with the customer’s name, account number, and the previous month’s meter reading, and she would transfer the present reading from the meter books to get the month’s kilowatt hour (kWh) usage. Pauline and I would check her subtraction and prepare the customer’s bill. We used pre-calculated rate cards to get the kWh cost, then we computed the sales tax and wrote in the amount due using ink pens. We had to make two copies of the bill (not carbon copies): one for the office and one for the customer. I would then take Pauline’s stack of bills and check all her figures; likewise, she would check mine. 

When a customer’s electric or water bills were past due, one could expect a knock on his/her door by Mr. Frushour. He would walk to their home or catch a ride on a town vehicle and attempt to collect the payment or set up a payment plan. The delinquency rate was very low. The town office hours were 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. until noon on Saturdays. 

Each week, usually Wednesday, the parking meter money was collected by someone on the police force. After a meter maid was hired, she did that job.  The coins would be dumped on a large table in our office, and two of us would separate the coins and wrap them by hand, except for the pennies.  These were wrapped using a hand-crank coin-wrapping machine. 

The office was a very comfortable place to work. No freebies were offered. We paid ten cents for a cup of coffee, and a soda machine provided nickel cokes. On Christmas Eve, the employees would be treated to a Christmas lunch. It was held in the stock room on a makeshift table of plywood, and we would get to go home a couple hours early. The office had one adding machine (hand-crank, not electric) that was shared by the three of us. We had manual typewriters, and the office functioned well with one telephone. I was responsible for accounts payable and payroll. Every check was hand written.

I was also secretary to Thurmont Police Chief Clarence Hagelin. On occasion, he would call me in at night to type the statement of persons detained or to type emergency paperwork. There was no copy machine; carbon paper was used. We did whatever it took to get things done.

I was the recording secretary for the board of commissioners for about 20 years. No tape recorder was used. I took notes in shorthand at all meetings and then typed the minutes, which were put into binders having pre-numbered pages.   

In 1964, I was part of the very first committee formed to initiate planning and zoning in Thurmont. Public hearings were held in the auditorium of the Thurmont High School. A few meetings became a rather noisy scene. The Thurmont Planning and Zoning Commission was then formed, and I was appointed executive secretary. I processed the very first zoning permits for the citizens of Thurmont. I believe the charge was $3.00.

Mr. Frushour became ill in 1966, and his position was filled by Glenn Nikirk. Mr. Nikirk was also zoning administrator. During his time, the office became more modernized. He was instrumental in getting the first grants for the town. In 1978, Mr. Nikirk resigned to take a position with the City of Frederick. Mayor C. Ray Weddle asked me to accept the position of zoning administrator, which I did and served in that capacity for nearly 10 years.

During these years, I also became the unofficial town office historian and answered inquiries from many seeking information about their ancestors.  Here’s one such letter, sent from Putnam, CT. in 1964.

Addressed To: “Either Town Manager, Selectman, Mayor or whoever is in charge of Thurmont, Maryland.”

“To whom it may concern; In 1928 I was shown by a person, a little white cottage at a corner in Thurmont, Md. on the road to Baltimore. Now, I am told there never was a house there. I never took a drop in my life. I’m 84, so there is something or someone cockeyed. Enclosed is a stamped, self-addressed envelope for an answer. My defunct wife was born there in 1897, April 2nd.”

After exchanging a couple letters with the sender to gather more information, we determined the location of the house in question.

Thurmont was a small town back then and much less populated. We knew every resident and most everything about them. The majority of the residents came in person to pay utility bills, usually by cash. 

I am proud to have known and worked under Mayors Donald L. Lewis, Roy W. Lookingbill, C. Ray Weddle, and James F. Black, and I feel fortunate to have watched our town grow over the past 70-plus years.

I can still remember:

The Zimmerman ladies, wearing long dresses and standing on their side porch (later removed) at the stone house on the corner of West Main Street and Altamont Avenue.

Buck Lewis walking from his gas station to direct traffic at the square when the fire alarm sounded.

Ice cream sundaes from Domingue’s and Donald Lewis’ soda fountains.

Buying clothing and shoes at Shappy’s on the Square.

The canning factory in operation.

The State Theatre.

Donald and Freida Lewis’ card and gift shop and Toy Land.

The Thurmont train station in operation.

Both the Dixie Diner and Davy’s Diner on Water Street.

And that is how some things used to be. I am hoping this stirs the minds of the few residents of Thurmont who can remember these times.

The Western Maryland Train Station, taken looking west from Boundary Avenue across the main line. At the left can be seen one of the water towers used to water the engines as they stopped in Thurmont.

Photo of the Dixie Diner, taken in 1939. The Dixie Diner was built in the late 1930s using an old H&FRR car by Mary and Leonard Fogle. After several years, the Dixie was enlarged by adding a second trolley car to the far end. It was operated by several individuals over the years, including Mary Fogle, Bill Houck, Audie and Audrey Moore, and Myrtle and Jim Steele.  The restaurant sat on Water Street at the Frederick Road intersection between the Fogle’s house and garage. The Center of Life Chiropractic Center sits in this general vicinity today.

This photograph (above) of Christmas lights at the Square in Thurmont dates from the early 1960s. All the businesses were all lit up, with the most prominent being Donald and Freda Lewis’s Corner Store.

The Lewis’s purchased this business in 1952 from the Wisotzkey Brothers. The store featured an amazing soda fountain bar along the far wall, a great selection of candies, cards, gifts, magazines, and of course, Toy Land upstairs. Lewis’s was located on the Square at the intersection of East Main Street and Water Street.

The next storefront down East Main Street also belonged to the Lewis’s and housed the Lewis Sporting Good Store. Donald was an avid fisherman and was always willing to offer advice about equipment or the best spots to fish. One of the most interesting features of the building was the corner door seen here; the Thurmont Bank building across the street also featured a corner door. Donald and Freda were very involved in the town (Donald was a Thurmont Mayor and Frederick County Commissioner) and loved by everyone. Freda died in 2004 and Donald in 2018.

On the second floor of the Wisotzkey store on the square was Toy Land! This was the place to go to see toys of all kinds, including bikes, doll houses, games, sleds, drums, baby buggies, swing sets, child-sized chairs, dart boards, and lots of other wonderful toys. Donald Lewis kept Toy Land open for many years as well. Pictured (from left): Unknown lady, Mary Mae Wisotzkey, Donnie Marshall, Roy Wisotzkey, Elizabeth Wisotzkey, and Doris Fitzgerald.

Buck Lewis at his Sinclair Gas and Service Station. After Buck closed the station, the building served as an ice cream parlor and a seafood/sandwich shop.


Thurmont Mayor James Black signing a document in the meeting room at the old town offices, located at 10 Frederick Road.

The Thurmont Addiction Commission (TAC) held its first monthly commission meeting of 2019 on January 10 at the Thurmont Town Office.  Discussions included a review of 2018 events hosted by TAC, as well as planning and scheduling for 2019 events as suggested by those in attendance at the meeting. All commission monthly meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month and are open to the public. The next meeting will be held February 14, 2019, at 7:00 p.m.

The TAC works within the community, as a community, to fight addiction. TAC’s efforts work through the three pillars: Education and Awareness, Support and Recovery, and Prevention and Outreach. Each pillar lead holds workshops and planning sessions throughout the month to address the needs of the community. Any individual interested in volunteering at events or as part of a pillar, please contact Ed Schildt at 240-285-8079 or attend a meeting.

TAC will kick off the 2019 Speaker Series on February 21 at 7:00 p.m. at the Thurmont Town Office on East Main Street in Thurmont. The guest speaker will be Teri Austin, founder of Austin Addiction and Mental Health Center in Frederick. The topic for the evening will be pain management options, education, and knowledge to support navigation through addiction and recovery.

Please join TAC for this very important speaker series and discussion on Feburary 21. Future Speaker Series dates will be April 18 and June 20, with guest speakers and topics to be determined.

The commission is currently finalizing a resource guide that will be available to the community in the near future to assist anyone looking for information and resources to support someone seeking recovery resources.

There are also preliminary plans to host fun days and sober events throughout the year. Please look for more details in the future.

TAC recognizes two important groups of organized citizens that are developing powerful programs and services in the community.

The Music is Medicine Foundation, founded by Chastity Fox, will soon open “The Path Peer Recovery Community Center,” which will provide space for professional counseling services, as well as support groups, therapeutic programs, and a connection point for the community to find many resources available. Stay tuned for more details.

TAC also recognizes the FUSE Teen Center, founded by Susan Crone (also a TAC member), that offers the youth of our community (grades 6-12) social options in a safe and supervised setting. FUSE hosts weekly events at Trinity Church of Christ, located on East Main Street in Thurmont, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-6:30 p.m., and Fridays from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Stop by and volunteer or bring your children for a great time.

The Thurmont Addiction Commission would love to talk to your organization, team, civic group, and so forth, to share valuable insight and educational information about the disease of addiction and the path to recovery. Education and Awareness is the key component to prevention, support, and recovery. Please call Ed Schildt at 240-285-8079 if you would like a TAC team to attend your meeting or event.

The Main Street Center will open Saturday, October 10, 2015, from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. It will then be open during October and November on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00-4:00 p.m. The new center is located on Water Street in Thurmont in the former Thurmont Library space.

Volunteers have been stepping forward to assist in various ways at the new center; anyone interested in helping out is welcome. Duties include handing out Thurmont business information to visitors to encourage them to spend time in Thurmont.

In December, the Center’s hours will change to include some evenings to accommodate the Festival of Trees, Wreathes, and Gingerbread House displays. People will be able to vote on their favorite tree and gingerbread house, and the wreathes will be auctioned off after Christmas. Anyone can enter a wreath; details will be mailed out in the electric bills. Gingerbread and wreaths are open to anyone, but trees are open only to businesses. All entries must come from within the Main Street Thurmont area.

Vickie Grinder, the Center’s coordinator and Thurmont’s Main Street manager, is soliciting every business in Thurmont, not just Main Street businesses, to have their information displayed in the Center. Businesses (within the parameters of 21788) that want to take advantage of having their information displayed on a permanent basis, please drop off your material(s) to the Thurmont Town Office, attention Vickie.

Art will be displayed in the Center. Local artists are invited to submit their art for consideration.

The Center will also have retail products for sale, including Josh Bollinger’s barbecue sauce, a Main Street label apple butter, Christmas ornaments for the Thurmont Lions Club, wine glasses from the Thurmont Murals, a lip balm made locally, and so on. If you have any locally-made products that you’d like to sell, please call for consideration.

The Main Street Center will facilitate visitors, as well as offer residents fun and educational events, such as paint night, paint lessons, lectures, WiFi, and other cool happenings.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Vickie Grinder at 301-748-5876.

thurmont main street

The Main Street Center, located at 11 Water Street in Thurmont, opens October 10, 2015.

Deb Spalding

Thurmont will again host and expand a Think Pink campaign during the month of October, in support of the Patty Hurwitz Cancer Research Fund. This year will see the first-ever Thurmont Think Pink 5K Run/Walk, taking place on October 24, 2015, at 15 Eyler Road in Thurmont. Registration and check-in begins at 7:00 a.m., with the race starting at 8:00 a.m. The cost is $25.00, if registered by October 10 (guaranteed a t-shirt), and $35.00 on race day. Register online at www.thinkpink5k.com, at the Thurmont Town Office, or at Thurmont’s Anytime Fitness.

Pink light bulbs were a hit last year and can be purchased this year at Hobb’s Hardware or Ace Hardware in Thurmont.

Don’t miss the Think Pink Paint Night with Laura on Friday, October 23, at 6:30 p.m., at the Main Street Center, located at 11 Water Street in Thurmont. Wear pink clothing or feel free to wear your pink pajamas. The cost is $40.00 per person, which includes all supplies and one free glass of wine. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Thurmont Think Pink. Get your tickets at the Thurmont Town Office or contact vgrinder@thurmontstaff.com.

For a list of business sponsors and for more information, see the Town of Thurmont’s Think Pink advertisement on page 9.

The Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund at Frederick Memorial Hospital (FMH) was established in 1999 by Jeff and Patty Hurwitz, after Patty’s diagnosis of breast cancer. The Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund is a fund of FMH, a private, not-for-profit, community hospital with a 501 (c)(3) tax status. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Visit www.pinkribbonfrederick.org/about/.

 

At a recent town meeting, Mayor John Kinnaird announced that the family of former Mayor James Black had donated to the town a framed watercolor print of their family home that was created by local artist Rebecca Pearl. James Black served as Thurmont’s mayor for a period of sixteen years (1969-1977 and 1979-1987). Many may be unaware that the new Thurmont Town Office, located at 615 East Main Street in Thurmont, is also the former home of former Mayor Black and his family.

Black’s family presented the artwork to the new Thurmont Town Office along with the following message:

“The James F. Black Family welcomes the opportunity to donate this signed print by local artist Rebecca Pearl to our new town office. Rebecca was commissioned by Ron and Bonnie (Black) Albaugh to create the watercolor for our family’s 2013 Christmas. Please accept this gift from our family for display in a location of your choice in our new town office. May this building protect our elected officials and employees in the coming years as they conduct the important work of our town at the Gateway, just as this home protected our family during our stay here from December 1959 through May 1979. This shall always remain a special place to our family and we trust that you will properly care for it as it now serves as your home.”

The donated artwork now hangs on the wall behind the commissioners’ desk in the public meeting room in the new Thurmont Town Office.

Copies of the print are available for purchase from Rebecca Pearl, 24 W. Main St., Emmitsburg, MD, rebeccapearl123@gmail.com, 301-447-1911.

Watercolor - Donation to Town -  Photo (07-15-15 Edison Hatter)

Pictured from left are Mayor John Kinnaird, LaRue Black, Dennis Black, Rebecca Pearl (artist), Susan (Black) Hatter, and Bonnie (Black) Albaugh.

New Premises for Thurmont Town Offices

Lindsay Brandt

TM Town new officeOn January 12, 2015, the Thurmont Town Office will open in a new location at 615 East Main Street, in the premises of the former Dailey Funeral Home.  After a full renovation of the building, which was once the residence of former Thurmont Mayor James Black, the new offices are inviting, parking is spacious, and service is complimented with modern conveniences.

The move to the new premises will bring many positive changes for the staff and citizens of Thurmont. The spacious building will hold approximately 10 different sectionals, rooms, and offices for the staff. Although not all rooms will be open to the public, the space is being put to good use.

Upon stepping through the large front doors, you can choose entering the reception area to your right or entering the spacious commissioners meeting room to your left.

In the reception area, the receptionist’s station is the first work area you see. If Debbie Ecker and Melody Dix are busy with patrons who arrived beforehand, you may peruse the media area of brochures and pamphlets or sit and watch a flat screen television that will be running through announcements.

On the other side of the building, in the back of the commissioner’s meeting room, you will find restrooms, a drinking fountain, and beautiful, large windows that seem to draw visitors in. The meeting room can hold 50 chairs compared to the 35 chairs available in the previous building, and if more than 50 people are anticipated for a town meeting, additional chairs can certainly be added.

Some of the offices that the public will not have direct access to are; Lori Kaas, who is involved with permits and utility building; Becky Long who assists with Planning and Zoning and works with grants; and Tracy Schur and Wanda Stottlemeyer in the Finance Office. As always, the public will be able to pay utility bills, ask questions, inquire about permits for parks and pavilions, and submit plans for permits, construction, and variances. 

TM New Town Office 2The second floor has a conference room, the commissioner’s office, and the mayor’s office. “We will be using the conference room a lot. Right now, I can accommodate four people in my office, but if we have meetings larger than that, we have to go to the meeting room. So this will be a nice place to bring people in to talk about things,” said Chief Administrative Officer Jim Humerick.

Before the town offices move, the building needed to have work done, both inside and out. The renovation of the building was a combined effort of the Lone Star Builders, Inc., Dorsey Brothers, Green Brothers Construction and Town of Thurmont Dept. of Public Works. Some of the different areas of renovation include: electrical, landscaping, sewer line connections, signs for the parking lot, flooring, and windows. The city accepted a grant to install energy-saving equipment, including new lighting and a state of the art energy efficient HVAC system. “With moving from the old to the new [building], the energy savings will be tremendous,” Humerick said.

An open house is in the works but the date has yet to be set. After the Town of Thurmont staff are settled in and they make sure operations are running smoothly, they plan for a weekend open house so the community can venture in and have a look around. There is no need to be worried about finding parking for the open house because the new building has 50 parking spaces, instead of the four at the old building. Another excellent feature of the parking lot is a drive-through lane with a drop box for people who are in a hurry and don’t want to leave their vehicle to drop off a bill.

The Public Works division will continue to work out of the 10 Frederick Road, location. Additionally, the Thurmont Food Bank will be relocating into the former town office building. There is no set date for the move, but it is hoped that towards the end of February, 2015, they will be ready for business.

The current office will be closed on Friday, January 9, so staff can make the move to the new location. Cubicles, furniture, and appliances will be among the items transferred to the new building.

“I think the new municipal offices will be a welcome improvement for both our staff and the residents of Thurmont, and I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their shared vision of this new public facility and for their support during the entire process. A special thanks goes to Jim Brown and Jim Humerick for their oversight of the project and for managing to satisfy all the Commissioner’s requests and concerns during the renovations,” said Mayor John Kinnaird.

Advance Auto Parts Opens in Thurmont

Lindsay Brandt

advance auto partsAdvance Auto Parts opened the doors to their new building at 131 Frederick Road in Thurmont on December 20, 2014.

The Grand Opening ceremony started at 11:00 a.m. when the Advance Auto Parts staff welcomed friends, families, and current and previous Town of Thurmont staff members by gathering in the parking lot for speeches and dedications.

“We were made to feel so welcome that we were coming, and little by little we started to hear the buzz around town, and everybody was so excited,” Lou Perez, District Manager for Advance Auto Parts, said. “I think this was the right move for our company and the right move for Thurmont.”

Thurmont Store Manager Donald Starliper is excited about the new location in Thurmont. He has been with the company for three years and has been looking forward to his transfer to Thurmont. He explained about store-wide Grand Opening deals and the free services the company provides that include, testing car batteries, installing batteries, and the free installation of wiper blades.

The ceremony also included a donation to the Thurmont Food Bank from Advance Auto Parts. Pastor Sally Joyner-Giffin accepted the $1,000 check on behalf of the Thurmont Food Bank.

“I think it’s a great addition to Thurmont; everybody seems excited about it and it’s been nice watching it grow from a hole in the ground to the finished product. Everybody is kind, courteous, and very willing to help you,” customer Sharon Richards said.

Advance Auto Parts is open daily from 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m., except Sundays during which hours are 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Call the store at 301-271-1113 for more information.

EBPA Reviews its Work in 2014

James Rada, Jr.

While the name of the Emmitsburg Business and Professional Association (EBPA)would make one think that the group is only interested in business issues in town, it does much more than that for the Emmitsburg community. This never becomes more obvious then during the EBPA’s annual banquet.

This year’s banquet was held in JoAnn’s Ballroom at the Carriage House Inn in Emmitsburg on December 5, 2014.

One of the major donations that the EPBA makes each month is to the Emmitsburg Food Bank. Board member Bob Rosensteel came up with the idea years ago to leave boxes at the registers of local businesses to collect loose change customers received after purchases.

“We never dreamed it would do what it’s doing, with something as simple as pocket change,” Rosensteel said.

In 2014, the change boxes collected nearly $5,500, which was then donated to the food bank to help feed local families.

“It just keeps coming,” EBPA Treasurer Allen Knott noted.

Similarly, the EBPA also donated $600 to the Emmitsburg Lions Club annual food drive.

EBPA board member Chris Ohanion reminded the audience that the EBPA had also taken over paying for the annual fireworks show during the Lions Club Emmitsburg Community Day.

“The generosity here in Emmitsburg is second to none,” said Rosensteel.

The EBPA is made up of nearly three dozen Emmitsburg-area businesses, who network and help promote Emmitsburg as a community.

The EBPA also sponsors local business luncheons to promote better business methods and local events.

For more information about the Emmitsburg Business and Professional Association, visit the EBPA website at www.ebpa.biz.

Mount St. Mary’s Appoints New President

Mount St. Mary's new presidentSimon Newman, Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone Management Group—a private equity, merger and acquisition, and strategic consulting firm based in Los Angeles, California—has been appointed the 25th President of Mount St. Mary’s University.

Newman succeeds Thomas H. Powell, president of the university since 2003. Newman’s appointment concludes a six-month national search process conducted by a committee comprised of members of the University Board of Trustees, as well as individuals representing the Mount community. Francis W. Daily, a member of the Board of Trustees and a 1968 graduate of the Mount, led the search.

“The committee entered this process with a clear understanding of the board’s requirements for our next leader. We focused on those candidates with experience in fund raising, strategic planning and fiscal leadership, strong communication skills, and a deep Catholic faith,” said Daily. “I commend my colleagues for the time they gave in searching for our next president.”

The announcement was made during an on-campus Mass celebrating the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Born in the United Kingdom, Newman, fifty-one, holds a BA degree (with honors) and an MA degree in natural sciences from Cambridge University, in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, Cambridge is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world’s third-oldest university. He also earned an MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business, in Palo Alto, California.

“Simon brings a strong background in business, finance, and leadership to our campus,” said John E. Coyne, III, C’77, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “He has many strengths: his collaborative management style, vision, progressive leadership, experience as a successful entrepreneur, and passion for our mission—all remind us of the skills of our founder, Fr. John Dubois.”

“He is a devout Catholic— involved in his parish, serving as a religious education teacher, and for many years as an instructor working with youth held in detention. Simon’s energy and accomplishment, and notably his firm commitment to the Mount’s strong Catholic liberal arts tradition, will serve the University well as we enter a most competitive and critical decade in higher education,” Coyne added.

“I am honored to help continue the Mount’s rich legacy and to further lead the University on its quest for greatness,” said Newman. “President Powell has elevated the University’s academic profile as a leading Catholic liberal arts University. I am inheriting a very solid foundation for future growth and development, and very much look forward to joining the Mount community.”

Newman has almost thirty years of experience working as an executive with a strong background in private equity, strategy consulting, and operations. He is currently a Managing Director of the private equity fund JP Capital Partners, as well as President and CEO of Cornerstone Management Group, founded in 1997.

During his career he has started or co-founded four different businesses, completed more than $33 billion in transactions, and raised more than $3 billion in equity funding for ventures and bids he originated. He has led several business turnarounds and delivered more than $200 million in profit improvements.

He started his career in consulting working with Bain & Co and LEK Consulting where he managed the media and entertainment practice working with clients such as Warner Bros., Disney, and Universal Studios. He has also worked at Canal+ International, Liberty Media and the investment bank, Wasserstein & Perella.

An avid sportsman, Newman and his wife, Michelle, have two children: Chantel (six) and Sienna (three).