We will be holding another RPCN Awards Lunch on Wednesday, May 13th, from 12:00 - 2:00 pm, at Red Fedele’s Brook House Restaurant, 920 Elmridge Center Drive, Rochester, NY 14626

We are opening the Nomination Process for the following Awards:

• Community Champion
• Leadership Award
• Entrepreneur of the Year
• Linda Halliburton Friend of RPCN Award
• Dave Young Dedicated Service Award

A detailed description of each award category is available here on the RPCN website. Nominations must be submitted between now and Sunday, February 22nd, 2026. 

The goal of the awards ceremony is to recognize the people who do great things that impact growth and opportunity, and to celebrate their efforts. Please do not delay, and help us recognize those you appreciate by clicking here Award Nomination Form.

RPCN’s Post-Holiday Party Success

RPCN held their Post-Holiday Party on Wednesday, January 14th, from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at TRATA (The Restaurant at the Armory) on Culver Road. The overall response to our survey was that a good time was had by all, as you can see from the pictures shown below. 

We received positive responses regarding:

• the central location
• we were able to have the party the evening before another big snowstorm
• the food choices 
• the parking was  ample
• the location near the Beer Wall at TRATA was good
• the staggered presentation of the food during the two hours was good
• the post-holiday timing of the party is great because December is too busy
• the price was reasonable

Some suggestions to improve next year’s Post-Holiday Party were:

• Name tags would have been helpful, especially for the new members.
• Order three platters of chicken fingers next time, since two platters weren’t enough.
• Label the food options in the future.
• Have more social events to get us together.

We hope to see you in January 2027 at our next Post-Holiday Party, if not before!

—Sandy Glanton

The First 20 Years of RPCN Presidents

This article was written by Bob Lurz in 2010. It listed the first 20 years of the Rochester Professional Consultants Network (RPCN) Presidents. We’re running it again in the February 2026 RPCN Newsletter with a few small edits.

RPCN has been in existence for 35 years. We will complete the information on years 20 – 35 in the March 2026 newsletter.

In 2010, Bob wrote, “I thought this might be interesting for members who didn’t know our earlier presidents. I hope I haven’t offended anyone by omitting something important. Maybe you’ll have a few smiles as you remember them.” 

1990-1991   Ian (Ted) Fraser: He was our founder. He had a lifetime membership and occasionally attended a meeting until he passed away. (Deceased)

1991-1992   Roger Vickery: Roger liked to do role-playing to demonstrate networking. He moved out of the Rochester area.

1992-1993   John P. Wilkie: He would make presentations to potential clients about the business he was starting and ask them to critique it for him. He used this as a marketing tool. He specialized in women-owned businesses. 

1993-1994   Lindsay Collier: His specialty was Humor. He wrote the book, “The Whack-a-Mole Theory of Management.” He did presentations in South Africa and now lives in Florida. 

1994-1995   Robert F. Lurz: Bob developed the first RPCN Strategy, a one-page format still used today. He also started the RPCN Breakfast Club, now called the Business Forum. (Bob wandered off one day mumbling, “If you need a strategy,” and he hasn’t been seen since.)

1995-1996   Michael J. Rizzolo: Michael helped hearing-impaired people to improve their lives. He was a great motivational presenter who occasionally spoke at RPCN events.

1996-1997   Penny J. Cannon: Penny was our first woman president. She was a workplace training specialist. She arranged to have Tom Golisano as an RPCN guest speaker.

1997-1998   Michael Mattie: He was a nationally known speaker.

1998-1999   William S. Samuels IV: William was a successful telemarketer trainer/broker. I blame him every time I get a marketing phone call. (Deceased).

1999-2000   Francis H. Bouchard (Frank): He was a Quality Process consultant. Frank had Prudential Real Estate as a major client throughout the USA. He started the “Consultants getting to know each other” group. Frank moved to Tucson. (Deceased)

2000-2001   Jill Ann Hurst: Jill presided over RPCN’s 10th anniversary. She took a solo 3-month auto trip across the USA, keeping us informed with “Letters from the road.” She was teaching at Syracuse University at the time this article was originally written. She was the first African American RPCN president. 

2001-2002   Robert A. Penty: He was active in the Brighton Rotary, and he consulted in India with B.C. Dash. (Deceased)

2002-2003   Mary Anne Shew: She revised and updated the RPCN bylaws, which was a long, arduous job, but she persisted. Mary Anne evolved from Website Consulting to Coaching Leaders. She knitted during the Breakfast Club, but Bob forgave her. She was the first two-term RPCN president.

2003-2004   Robert J. Ruhland: He was a Quality consultant who then became a Real Estate agent.

2004-2005   Mary Anne Shew: Was the first double-jeopardy RPCN president (see 2002-2003).

2005-2006   Yvonne DiVita: She wrote a book entitled “Dickless Marketing” for women. Yvonne helped book authors get published. She promoted Web Marketing through Blogging Bootcamps. Yvonne moved to Denver with a self-proclaimed “recovering lawyer.”

2006-2007   Steven Chapman: He redesigned the RPCN logo. Last we knew, Steven moved to North Carolina.

2007-2008   Hans Von Gehlen: Hans updated the name of the Breakfast Club to the Business Forum and the Tech Group to the Technical Forum. He held many useful “self-help” workshops. He moved to NYC and then eventually returned to Rochester.

2008-2009   Carol McManus: She was a Workers’ Comp & Workplace Violence specialist. Carol became the RPCN Alliance Leader, and she was. instrumental in forming an alliance with the NYS Dept of Labor.

2009-2010   Emily Carpenter: Emily was a Social Networking specialist. She led a long, difficult, successful project to update the RPCN Website. She started the Social Networking Forum meetings. Emily helped promote the alliance with the NYS Dept of Labor & RochesterWorks.

2010-2011   Linda McQueen Linda was involved in Business Process consulting. She started the Business Planning workshop series. Linda led the initiative to expand RPCN membership through Members’ networks: Her motto was, “Be like drops of rain,” causing ripples of influence.

—Bob Lurz

Ethical AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future concept for consultants, marketers, and business advisors. It’s already embedded in how a lot of us write reports, analyze data, manage client relationships, and make decisions. As these tools become even more accessible and more powerful, the question is no longer whether professionals should use AI, but how to use it responsibly. Ethical AI is not about slowing innovation. It’s about protecting trust, credibility, and long-term value in a rapidly changing landscape.

At its core, ethical AI means using artificial intelligence in ways that are transparent, fair, accountable, and aligned with human values. For members of RPCN, this matters because our businesses depend heavily on judgment, expertise, and relationships. When clients hire a consultant, they are relying not only on our skills but also on our integrity.

Transparency

One of the most important ethical considerations is transparency. Clients deserve to know when AI is being used and how it contributes to the work they receive. This does not mean listing every tool or explaining every technical detail. It does mean being honest about the role AI plays in delivering results.

For example, using AI to draft marketing copy or summarize research is very different from using AI to make final strategic recommendations without human review. Transparency helps set appropriate expectations, builds confidence, and avoids surprises that can damage long-term relationships.

Accountability

Another key issue is accountability. AI systems don’t understand context, values, or consequences the same way humans do. They generate outputs based on patterns in data, not on responsibility for outcomes. That responsibility always belongs to the professional using the tool.

If an AI-generated report contains errors, bias, or misleading conclusions, it’s not the fault of the software. It’s the responsibility of the consultant who delivered it. Ethical AI requires maintaining human oversight and never outsourcing critical judgment entirely to a machine.

Bias

Bias is also something to watch. AI systems learn from existing data, and that data often reflects historical inequalities, incomplete information, or flawed assumptions. As a result, AI can unintentionally reinforce stereotypes or exclude certain perspectives.

In professional services, this can show up in hiring recommendations, market analysis, customer targeting, or risk assessments. Ethical use of AI means understanding its limitations and thinking critically about what it produces, not accepting its answers at face value.

Privacy

Data privacy is another area where ethical choices matter. Many AI tools rely on large amounts of information, some of which may be sensitive, proprietary, or confidential. Professionals must be careful about what data they input into AI systems, especially when working with client information.

Ethical AI use includes understanding data handling policies, avoiding the upload of confidential material when inappropriate, and ensuring compliance with legal, contractual, and professional obligations. Trust can be lost quickly if data is mishandled, even unintentionally.

Honesty

There is also an ethical line between efficiency and misrepresentation. AI can dramatically increase productivity, allowing one person to do the work that once required a team. This is a powerful advantage, but it raises questions about how services are positioned and priced.

Ethical practice means being honest about the value delivered rather than implying a level of manual effort or human involvement that does not exist. Clients care about outcomes, but they also care about honesty and transparency in how those outcomes are achieved.

An AI Code of Ethics

For RPCN members, a practical approach to ethical AI can start with a few guiding principles.

• Always keep a human in the loop for important decisions.
• Be transparent with clients about how AI is used.
• Protect data as if it were your own.
• Question outputs instead of assuming accuracy.
• Use AI to support your expertise, not as a substitute for it.

AI will continue to evolve, and ethical standards will evolve with it. By engaging with these questions now, professionals position themselves as trusted advisors rather than passive users of technology. Ethical AI is not a constraint on success. It is a foundation for sustainable, credible, and responsible growth.

In a network built on expertise, collaboration, and trust, how we use AI matters just as much as whether we use it at all.

—Bob Manard