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During the annual awards luncheon at the 48th SIGMA Annual Meeting, the association honored a distinguished marketer—Richard “Dick” Dyke—in the industry and its four exiting board members.
“Dick has accomplished a great deal over his life and he has contributed a great deal to the formation of our industry” said SIGMA president Paul Reid when introducing the distinguished marketer. “In fact, it is Dick’s willingness to hold himself out and network and serve that brings us to this day; providing us with an opportunity to honor a man that has contributed greatly to the status of our industry—locally in Oregon, in the Pacific Region with POC, and nationally with SIGMA.”
After more than half a century in the oil business, Dick Dyke has seen it all: the decline of the service station and rise of the convenience store, the oil embargoes and price shocks, the success of independents, the dominance of the majors, industry consolidation, and much more. But what satisfies Dick most has been the opportunity to learn, to create a growing business, and to make some great friends along the way.
Born in Vancouver, Wash., and raised in Portland, he went on to serve in a Navy Seabee battalion during World War II in the Pacific. After returning home and trying various jobs, he entered the petroleum industry in 1953 at a station that was operated by Signal Oil and Gas Company. In time, Dick rose through the ranks. His
career with Signal culminated in a 1969 assignment to Portland as the company's Northwest regional manager.
After a lifetime in the petroleum industry, Dick finds himself still drawn to the business which afforded him a rich and satisfying career. Dick tirelessly served this industry from the local level to regional, state, and national levels of influence still to this very day. SIGMA appreciated the opportunity to recognize this successful entrepreneur on November 12, 2006, for his many achievements in business and in life.
“It’s a pretty heavy title, distinguished marketer,” Dyke said during his acceptance speech. “I appreciate it very much.” Dick went on to encourage others to join SIGMA and get involved. “What you learn from your fellow marketers sticks with you and means a lot,” he said. SIGMA also recognized its exiting board members during the Closing Luncheon and extends its sincere thanks to these individuals for contributing their time, money and expertise to better the association.
Those members included: David Atwater, Partner of California Fuel Stops, Inc. in Stockton, California; Stewart Spinks, Chairman & CEO of the SPINX Oil Company, Inc. out of Greenville, South Carolina; and Joe Stark, President & CEO of Top Star Inc. in Emmaus, Pennsylvania.
After the 2006 election outcome, it seemed only fitting for Political Analyst Chuck Todd to speak at this year’s
Closing Luncheon. Todd is Editor-in-Chief of The Hotline, Washington’s premier daily briefing on American politics. Billed for his ability to make politics not only interesting but entertaining, Todd delivered by sharing with participants how the 2006 elections were supposed to be nothing more than a forgettable halftime show as the two parties prepared for an epic showdown for control in 2008.
“If the elections of 1994 were the revenge of the angry white male, the elections of 2006 were the revenge of the independents,” Todd said. “The Republicans in the Northeast were completely wiped out. Not a single Dem House member lost, even in very Red districts. And finally, Dems won six Senate seats—not one was open and three were held by incumbents who were running for 3rd and 4th terms.”
Todd said several triggers led to such an election overhaul including: (1) not only the Mark Foley scandal, but the Republican leadership’s reaction to it; and (2) the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina. He went onto identify potential political targets including Iraq, and like Jeff Birnbuam, he warned corporate America—particularly CEOs— will also be high on the list. “I’d be hiring a lawyer,” Todd said. “The economy hasn’t shifted but those Dems who ran on an anti-free trade agenda won with a pro-labor message.”
He went onto say that new Dems are not globalists like the Clintons, they’re populists: for America and against free trade. “Dems won on a fiscal issue,” he said. “Bringing and keeping jobs in America.”
He predicts that President Bush now has a foil—the new Democratic Congress—and he, like Birnbaum, sees Bush finally using his veto power, something he hasn’t done in six years. “Congress is unpopular compared with the presidential seat,” Todd said. “But President Bush and the GOP relations are under stress. The Republicans view the Rumsfeld decision as a poke in the eye and some will retire because of it.”
Todd forecasts that in the end, the middle is going to win long term. “This election is all about home field advantage,” he said. “In the short-term, I see the winner in this was John McCain. This election will help him woo the West back. He will win back the GOP.”
The country’s tired of polarization and working together in Congress is a tough line to walk in politics because someone will always ask you if you are compromising your principles to solve problems.
Todd added that John Edwards paved the way for the fair trade issues and that’s the platform that won these elections. He also added that what Dems did to Newt in 95’ GOP will do to Pelosi in 06’ and pointed out that she’s already trying to moderate her image by reminding people she grew up in Maryland with a Catholic family.
He sees the problem for the Dems in 2008 as this: they have Hillary running for president (who’s also a New York Dem) and Pelosi as the Speaker of the House, breaking ceilings as third in command (who’s also a California liberal). “Iowa— run for your lives!,” Todd joked. He said that Clinton, however, will harbor a weakness: the Clinton name association with the past and a constant need to defend what her husband did while in office. “I’m not so sure that the public is ready for more history—Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton,”
Todd said. “It would be a hard win, what with the American way of breaking from anarchy.”
In the end, it boils down to the fact that people want the government to stay out of their bedroom. Todd suggested keeping an eye on the marriage law in Arizona example—traditionally a very red state— and warns that Republicans could be hurt by being associated with religion instead of business.
After one of SIGMA’s biggest and best events in Chicago, you won’t want to miss the next opportunity to mingle and learn at the SIGMA/NPN/OPIS Executive Leadership Conference in Aspen/ Snowmass, Colorado.
Running from February 11-14, 2007, this is an evolving conference that mixes family and business with the best in education. For more information and registration opportunities, call (703) 709-7000 or visit SIGMA’s website www.sigma.org.
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