A phone call from a business associate jarred me into changing my topic for this month’s column.The call came from Andrew Boico, a SEN Design Group member from Roslyn, NY, telling me that his father had died from cancer the day before. He was only 71 years old.

When I think of Don Boico, CKD, I think of one of the best mentors I have ever encountered in the kitchen and bath industry.

I met Don nearly 35 years ago while serving with him on the National Board of Directors for the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). He had a sharp business mind that went along with his searing wit, and he was never afraid to debate an unpopular position on a trade association issue.

When I started the industry’s first buying group for kitchen and bath design firm owners in 1994, Don was among the first 25 charter members. He also accepted an appointment to our Advisory Council, helping to guide us through the formative first six years. It took nearly all that time for our group to gain traction within the industry and show a healthy bottom line.

Don ran a very successful, highly profitable operation on the north shore of Long Island.

His name lent credibility to our fledgling group, and that helped to attract additional members and vendors to join us. He did not need to volunteer his time, wisdom and energy to support us. Rather, he wanted to because he believed in the group’s mission. He had also made a commitment, and his word was always good.

When the buying group experienced setbacks in those early years, Don would pick up the phone and call me, offering prudent advice and words of encouragement.

Those selfless, voluntary actions meant a lot to one’s psyche because, all of a sudden, hope was replacing fear. You were able to summon up the courage to soldier on.

As our organization grew, the Advisory Council suggested that we assign mentors to new members who would be attending one of our semi-annual conferences for the first time.

The purpose would be to enable new members to “learn the ropes” from veterans and, therefore, be assimilated into the group more easily.

At every opportunity possible, I always assigned new members to Don because I was confident he would do a great mentoring job.

He always did, regardless of whether the new member was a large, successful dealer like himself or a small, struggling one like he had been many years earlier when he sold cabinets from the trunk of his car.