PICKERINGTON, Ohio,
Feb. 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/
-- R.G. Barry Corporation (NASDAQ: DFZ) Chairman of the
Board Gordon B. Zacks, the globe-trotting businessman, author and
lecturer who grew the small company founded by his parents into the
world's largest developer and marketer of soft, washable slippers,
died today at his Bexley home
following a brief illness. He was 80.
(Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140201/CL57230
)
Mr. Zacks joined his family's business in 1955 after attending
Dartmouth College and graduating from
The Ohio State University. He joined
the Board of Directors in 1959 and was named company president in
1965. He added the roles of chairman of the board and chief
executive officer to his resume in 1979. Following retirement from
his day-to-day management roles in 2004, he was named the Company's
non-executive chairman of the board, a post held until his
death.
"Gordon lived an amazing life and faced each day and every
challenge with a passion and joy that infected all those around
him," said RG Barry President and Chief Executive Officer
Greg Tunney. "He was a sharing
mentor to many, including me. His entrepreneurial spirit, vision
and guidance will be sorely missed by all who knew and worked with
him."
Recognized as an authority on the qualities of leadership, Mr.
Zacks was a frequently sought after speaker and conducted
leadership seminars globally, including at Harvard's Kennedy
School of Government and Business School; Fisher College of Business at OSU; The George Bush
Presidential Library Center for at Texas
A&M; the Fox School of Business at Temple University; and TED X at Claremont-McKenna College.
He was author of two books. 2006's Defining Moments – Stories
of Character, Courage, and Leadership in which he profiled
remarkable leaders who have made the world a better place through
character, courage, and leadership and the soon to be published
Redefining Moments in which he addressed the end of
life.
Throughout his life, Mr. Zacks was active in many local, state
and national and international charitable, political and religious
endeavors.
He served on the Dean's Advisory Board at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University and was Chairman of the
Florence Melton Adult Mini-School, which provides high quality,
pluralistic adult Jewish education in over sixty cities in four
countries, with over 30,000 graduates.
He was a member of the Young Presidents Organization and the
Chief Executives Organization. He served as general chairman
designate of the National United Jewish Appeal and was a founding
member and past chairman of the UJA Young Leadership Cabinet. His
political activism helped lay some of the groundwork for the
American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He was also
a co-founder of the United Republican Jewish Coalition.
Mr. Zacks worked with three U.S. presidents and five Israeli
Prime Ministers, and his political involvement reached its
highpoint during the Reagan and Bush presidencies. He declined
nominations to an ambassadorship in the Reagan/Bush Administration,
and a Cabinet post during the Bush/Quayle Administration, in order
to serve as unofficial advisor and confidant to Vice President and
then President George H.W. Bush on
Israeli/American relations, the Middle East Peace Process, Soviet
Jewry, Ethiopian Jewry, and the political landscape of the American
Jewish community.
Mr. Zacks was National Chairman of the Bush for President
National Jewish Campaign Committee in 1988, and Co-Chairman of the
Bush for President National Finance Committee in 1987-1988. In 1992
he served as Vice-Chairman of the Bush/Quayle National Finance
Committee and Co-Chairman of the Middle East Policy Task Force. He
was named to the Board of Trustees of the George Bush Presidential
Library in 1993. He also served as the Chairman of the U.S. and
Foreign Commercial Service Advisory Committee in 1991 and 1992 and
was a member of the President's Advisory Committee for Trade Policy
and Negotiation from 1981-1994.
He traveled to over 100 countries throughout the world and made
over 100 trips to Israel and the
Middle East during his life.
Gordon was a recipient of numerous awards including the 1990 T.
Kenyon Holly Humanitarian Award from the Two-Ten Footwear
Foundation; the 1998 Alumni Community Service Award from the
Ohio State University Fisher College of Business; and the 2002 State of
Israel Bonds Menachem Begin Leadership Award.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Carol Sue; parents, Aaron Zacks and Florence
Zacks Melton; and brother, Barry. Survivors include
daughters Kimberly and Catherine (Michael)
Gildenhorn and three grandchildren.
Services are planned for 2 p.m.
Monday at Tifereth Israel, Broad Street, Columbus. RG Barry's corporate offices will close
at noon Monday in memory of Mr. Zacks.
About RG Barry
RG Barry develops accessories brands
that provide fashionable, solution-oriented products for a great
life. Our primary brands include: Dearfoams slippers dearfoams.com;
baggallini handbags, totes and travel accessories baggallini.com;
and Foot Petals premium insoles and comfort products
footpetals.com. To learn more, visit us at rgbarry.com.
SOURCE R.G. Barry Corporation