June 2010 40 Under 40 Nominees

Published on Wednesday, June 02, 2010

John R. Figmic
Age: 38
Title: Sales Manager
Company: Maffei Landscape Contractors
Education: Associate’s Degree in Ornamental’ Horticulture

Community involvement: Cape Cod Horticulture Society; Cape Cod Tech Horticulture Department Advisory Board; Barnstable Community Garden Committee; Founding member of Sandwich Business

Biggest professional success: To have been a part of something that started out at a tenth of its current size is quite rewarding. I would also say my longevity in this career is a great success. Many people come and go but comparatively few spend as much time in this industry.

Dream job: Owning/operating a nice, quiet farm somewhere in New England growing ornamental plants for the local landscape industry

Businessperson you admire most: First, Jack Welch of General Electric – he has incredible thoughts on building business and developing people. Also, Warren Buffet’s common-sense approach to his business life puts him at the top of my list

Favorite vacation spot: Daytona Beach, Florida (for the Daytona 500)

Figmic found his love of the landscape business at 12 years old when he started helping out at local nursery in Osterville. He attended Cape Cod Reg Technical High School and was fortunate to build his skills through the horticulture program. He decided that he wanted to pursue a career in the green industry and went to college in Vermont, studying Ornamental Horticulture. Since that time, he has been involved in some aspect of the landscape industry for his entire career.


Gary Sheehan
Age: 31
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Company: Cape Medical Supply Inc.
Education: Boston College (BA), Suffolk University (MBA)

Community involvement: Co-founder CCYP, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce Board Member

Biggest professional success: Working with my dad and our team on the 2005 acquisition of Cape and Islands Oxygen from Cape Cod Healthcare

Dream job: The one I have right now

Hobbies: Golf, cycling

Favorite vacation spot: Puerto Rico

Sheehan started his career in sports marketing/event planning, working with an international firm and running on-site and national events for Fortune 100 companies. In 2002, he returned to the area and joined Cape Medical Supply (which was founded by his parents in 1977), eventually moving into a leadership position as president and CEO.


Karen Gradowski
Age: 37
Title: Registration Manager
Company: Convention Data Services
Education: BA Siena College; MA CAS University New York at Albany

Community involvement: Bourne Cultural Council; Douglas J. Fletcher Memorial Golf Tournament; volunteer at the Heritage Museums & Gardens education, exhibition and automobile events.

Biggest professional success: Being named to lead our company’s project team on one of the top five largest trade shows in the country.

Dream job: My dream job would be here in the Cape Cod area and continue to allow me to work in a project management capacity with a public/private client base and to interpret their goals/needs to create a successful event, program or experience for them.

Hobbies: Most of my hobbies involve taking advantage of the wonderful place we live in. I enjoy biking, hiking and kayaking throughout Cape Cod.

Favorite vacation spot: Other than Cape Cod’s wonderful beaches, my favorite place to visit is Italy. I love the culture, food, architecture and sense of history.

Career background/highlights: Gradowski moved to Cape Cod in 1996 to take a position in the Education Department at Heritage Museums & Gardens. After eight years at Heritage and having been promoted to the role of Director of Exhibits, Interpretation & Public Programs, she left in 2004 to work with Convention Data Services. At CDS her role is to manage conference and trade show events to provide their clients with state-of-the-art Web-based registration and database management services. As a project manager she works directly with clients to gather their goals and objectives and translate their needs to her team.


George Noonan
Age: 35
Title: Rink Manager
Company: Hyannis Youth & Community Center, Town of Barnstable
Education: Bachelor Of Science from Bridgewater State College Physical Education Concentration in Recreation

Community involvement: President of Upper Cape Domestic Violence Coalition 2004. Board Member Post 206 American Legion Baseball, Board Member Mashpee Village

Biggest professional success: Returning to Cape Cod and serving the youth of our community

Dream job: Executive Director, Boys and Girls Club of Cape Cod, or GM of the Red Sox

Favorite vacation spot: Ireland

Noonan has been with the town of Barnstable’s recreation Division since December 2004. He served as Program Coordinator until the summer of 2009 when he was promoted to Rink Manager of the brand-new Hyannis Youth & Community Center. Noonan’s responsibilities include maximizing opportunities for the twin rinks.


Robert Maffei, MCLP
Age: 36
Title: President
Company: Maffei Landscape Contractors
Education: Barnstable High, UMass Amherst

Community involvement: We have sponsored an event for the last two years where we have given away over 300 Christmas Trees to raise money, food, toys and jackets for the less fortunate.

Dream job: Coach of the New England Patriots

Businessperson you admire most: Jack Welch – he’s one of us … from Boston and he even talks like us. His books have broken down management in terms anyone can understand and have helped me be a better leader within my own organization.

Hobbies: Fishing and P90X

Favorite vacation spot: Disney

Favorite book: The E-Myth

Maffei learned the business while working for his father John in his company, Cammett Construction. At 17 years old, to help pay for college, Maffei put up a landscaper’s shingle and started mowing grass. Maffei did manage to eventually attend college, but never finished because his company was growing too fast. Today, it generates millions in revenue, employing 80 workers.


Scott Swaylik
Age: 36
Title: Vice President, Branch Manager, Financial Advisor
Company: Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Education: Barnstable High School, Bridgewater State (Economics)

Dream job: I have it! I couldn’t imagine working in a nicer location in the world or with better people and a community that I truly love. There may be more opportunities in other parts of the country but I want my son to have the same great experiences that I had as a kid growing
up on Cape Cod. I truly believe that everyone works their entire life to retire on Cape Cod; why would I ever leave?

Hobbies: Fishing and boating

Favorite book: Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell

Swaylik has spent the past 12 years as a committee member for the Joe Cronin Fishing tournament to benefit the Dana Farber and Jimmy Fund – the largest private fund raising event for the Dana Farber and Jimmy Fund. He’s also president of the Cape Cod Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, which focuses on the preservation of wetlands. For the past three years, he’s been involved with the Fall Classic Fishing tournament to benefit the Genesis Fund, which raises money for specialized treatments for New England area children born with birth defects and genetic diseases.


Richard D. Bienvenue
Age: 39
Title: CPA/Partner
Company: Malloy, Lynch, Bienvenue LLP, Certified Public Accountants
Education: BA in Business Administration, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts; Certified Public Accountant

Community involvement: Call Firefighter, Town of Wellfleet (1989-2002); formerly elected member of Wellfleet Housing Authority; Cape Cod Young Professionals; Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants – Government Accounting Committee; informally involved with several nonprofit organizations

Dream job: Entrepreneur traveling the globe assisting companies expand internationally and helping developing countries implement their finance systems. I would also like to write about my experiences.

Hobbies: Right now it’s all about my kids.

Bievenue began with a solo practitioner in 1993 and has been working his way up professionally ever since. MLB is the largest public accounting firm on Cape Cod with a very diverse client base from individuals and small businesses to government, nonprofits, national and international businesses. “I am very pleased that MLB is not your traditional public accounting firm,” says Bienvenue. “Yes, we do a lot of the traditional accounting and tax work, but where we have really made our mark is by being very proactive and by undertaking and successfully completing non-traditional, and highly complex engagements.”


Kevin Gallerani
Age: 27
Title: Owner
Company: Cape Auto Body
Education: Sacred Heart High School, BS Business Administration and MBA Concentration Business Management, Fitchburg State College

Dream job: When is Hugh Hefner retiring?

Businessperson you admire most: My father, even though I like to give him a hard time at work. He does have a lot of experience, patience and great people management skills. I hate to admit it, but I have learned a lot from him and I inherited his great reputation to maintain.

Hobbies: Skiing, Golfing, Causing Trouble

Favorite vacation spot: Skiing New England or Rockies, traveling in Europe

A fourth generation family business owner running a very busy and successful collision center in Plymouth, Gallerani is also involved with the Lions Club Plymouth, a board member of the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce, and BNI Plymouth Business Generators Member and Past President.


Ben Stout
Age: 33
Title: Director of Sales & Leasing
Company: Atlantic Properties
Education: BA from Hofstra University

Community involvement: Involvement let’s say: Board of Directors for the South Shore Young Professionals, President of the Plymouth Industrial Park Association, Trustee of the South Shore Economic Development Council and involved with many other civic and charitable organizations.

Dream job: Professional Golfer

Businessperson you admire most: My father, Henry Stout – he has navigated Atlantic Properties through two record real estate booms and two recessions. His thoughtful insight has been invaluable to the growth of the commercial real estate brokerage business at Atlantic Properties over the past eight years.

Hobbies: Golf, tennis & boating

Favorite vacation spot: Amalfi Coast, Italy

Favorite book: 1776

Favorite movie: Old School

Stout initially worked for Cushman and Wakefield just after college and joined Atlantic Properties in 2001 as director of commercial real estate sales and leasing. Ben now oversees a team of three brokers with a combined 60 years of experience in commercial real estate brokerage in Southeastern Massachusetts. Before Ben joined the firm Atlantic Properties main focus had been on Development and Construction and has since added brokerage, site development, gravel removal and development consulting to its expertise.


Lynn Mason-Small
Age: 37
Title: Director of Marketing
Company: Mid-Cape Home Centers
Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Massachusetts

Community involvement: Board of Directors, Cape Cod Young Professionals; CCYP Community Action Team; Board of Directors, Community Visions; Advisory Board, Cape Cod Technical High School; Homebuilders & Remodelers Association of Cape Cod; Yarmouth and Cape Cod Chambers of Commerce

Dream job: Wine taster in Napa

Businessperson you admire most: Pat McGovern, Founder and Chairman of IDG. When I worked for IDG, Mr. McGovern, who is on the Forbes list of wealthiest billionares, would visit each employee personally every Christmas. He’d take a few moments to chat, thank you for your service to the company and hand you a holiday bonus. I will forever admire him for showing that you’re never too big or too important, to thank the people you work with.

Favorite book: Trinity by Leon Uris

Mason-Small began her career in Corporate Events and Marketing in San Diego, moving on to Operations Manager of Strategic Programs and Events, Computerworld/IDG, Dir. of Marketing and Communications, Yarmouth Area Chamber of Commerce, and Director of Marketing for Mid-Cape Home Centers. She says, “I’ve been fortunate to have had a lot of wonderful experiences in my business life, but I think the one that I am most proud of is the time I’ve spent helping to create the Cape Cod Young Professionals organization. It’s been such a rewarding professional and personal experience to work alongside truly fantastic people. It’s very gratifying to know that young professionals are taking the CCYP group into consideration when thinking of staying or moving here.”


Published in Cape & Plymouth Business June 2010