DAILY NEWS PEOPLE; KENNETH R. GERSTON.Byline: - Sharon Cotal Kenneth R. Gerston fits the part of the quintessential quin·tes·sen·tial adj. Of, relating to, or having the nature of a quintessence; being the most typical: "Liszt was the quintessential romantic" Musical Heritage Review. businessman. And he should. He started his first business when he was 19 years old and has built on his successes to become CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of a thriving company in the Valley. But when he's not in meetings and business suits, Gerston is one B.A.D. dude. B.A.D. as in Bikers Against Diabetes, that is. Gerston is the chairman of the annual ride to raise money for the American Diabetes Association The American Diabetes Association, or the ADA, is an American health organization providing diabetes research, information and advocacy. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association conducts programs in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, reaching hundreds of . This year's event took place June 13, and more than 2,200 motorcycle motorcycle, motor vehicle whose design is based on the bicycle. The German inventor Gottlieb Daimler is generally credited with building the first practical motorcycle in 1885. The motorcycle did not become dependable and popular, however, until after 1900. riders hit the open road all over Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, to raise close to $150,000. Gerston was the leader of the pack, wearing leathers, cool shades and worn jeans - not exactly the uniform of a CEO, but perfect for a guy who wants to do what he can for a good cause. AGE: 44 RESIDENCE: Sherman Oaks BORN AND RAISED IN: Born in Tacoma, Wash.; moved to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. when he was 4 weeks old; moved to the Valley when he was 3 years old. OCCUPATION: CEO of Continental Coin & Jewelry jewelry, personal adornments worn for ornament or utility, to show rank or wealth, or to follow superstitious custom or fashion. The most universal forms of jewelry are the necklace, bracelet, ring, pin, and earring. Co. in Van Nuys. MARITAL STATUS marital status, n the legal standing of a person in regard to his or her marriage state. : Married to Kimberlee for seven years. CHILDREN: Lee, 17, and Emily, 8. VOLUNTEERISM vol·un·teer·ism n. Use of or reliance on volunteers, especially to perform social or educational work in communities. volunteerism : Gerston is the chairman of the Bikers Against Diabetes (B.A.D.) Ride and the Celebrity Waiter event for Southern California's American Diabetes Association. He is the chairman of development and is on the executive board of the L.A. Family Housing Corp., which moves homeless people into permanent, subsidized housing Subsidized housing (aka social housing) is government supported accommodation for people with low to moderate incomes. To meet these goals many governments promote the construction of affordable housing. and provides them with job training so that they can be self-sufficient. Gerston is also on the board of directors of the Mid-Valley Police Council, which provides Van Nuys-area police stations with new equipment such as desks, comfortable chairs, computers and telephones. He is also a Police Community Representative and set up a Neighborhood Watch program on his block. For the American Arbitration Association The American Arbitration Association (AAA) is a private enterprise in the business of arbitration, and one of several arbitration organizations that administers arbitration proceedings. The AAA also administers mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution. , Gerston provides free arbitration, mainly for low-income families going through a divorce. He helps them mediate MEDIATE, POWERS. Those incident to primary powers, given by a principal to his agent. For example, the general authority given to collect, receive and pay debts due by or to the principal is a primary power. a settlement that is fair and equitable equitable adj. 1) just, based on fairness and not legal technicalities. 2) refers to positive remedies (orders to do something, not money damages) employed by the courts to solve disputes or give relief. (See: equity) EQUITABLE. without their having to hire an attorney. HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED?: ``I like to think it's in my blood. My father became the executive director of Jewish Big Brothers after a lifetime of volunteering. I went to a lot of the events he organized, and I saw all these volunteers helping young boys with no fathers, and that made me want to help, too. I first volunteered when I was 8 or 9 years old at a camp for Jewish Big Brothers, and since that time I can't remember a time when I was not volunteering.'' WHY DO YOU VOLUNTEER?: ``There's a need out there for people to help solve the problems in society. I feel like it's my civic responsibility to make sure more people `have' than `have not,' so if there's a need, I'm going to be there. I mean, we haven't ended homelessness, we haven't cured diabetes, kids are still joining gangs, so there's still so much to do.'' BIGGEST DILEMMA: ``To enroll the masses into helping with what needs to be done. I sell - that's what I do at my job, and I also sell volunteering - and my biggest dilemma is enrolling people who have never volunteered before and encouraging them to get involved. But I've found that once they start volunteering, they are touched, and they want to continue doing it. Drawing them in is the challenge.'' MOST DIFFICULT DAILY TASK: ``Time management. I juggle volunteer meetings and community activities in addition to the numerous meetings I have each day for my business. I'm always running. My son came up to me the other day and said, `Dad, it must be really hard being you,' and I can see his point, but I have managed to find the time to help in these organizations without sacrificing other things in my life. It can be difficult at times, but once you see the results, it re-energizes you to keep going.'' FAVORITE DAILY TASK: ``I love life. I love every single day and every single moment. One of the most enjoyable things for me to do each day is to complete a task and say `next,' and go on to the next action. That's what makes me happy.'' BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: ``If the word doesn't get out about a certain event that I am organizing, and it doesn't raise as much money as it could have, I take that as a personal failure.'' GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: ``I helped organize the Mid-Valley Latino Business Expo (with Eduardo Estrada), and it was a big success. There was a separation between the Latino and white communities, but now they are coming together. Also, during the firestorms in '93, my company minted 22,000 commemorative coins Commemorative coins are coins that were issued to commemorate some particular event or issue. Most world commemorative coins were issued from the 1960s onward, although there are numerous examples of commemorative coins of earlier date. and gave them to all the firemen who came from all over the country to help fight the fires. We wanted to show our appreciation and to recognize their great efforts.'' GOALS FOR THE FUTURE: ``To keep on going. I plan to chair next year's B.A.D. Ride and continue my work with diabetes and the homeless. I don't want to cut back. My goal is to not stop, to drive forward even harder than I have before.'' WHO RELIES ON YOU THE MOST AND WHO YOU RELY ON: ``I rely on my wife every single day. I pull from her, because she's strong. It's hard for me to rely on people, because I think people should be empowered and do things for themselves. But I have finally allowed myself to rely on her, because I trust her.'' ROLE MODELS: ``My father has probably been the most influential role model in my volunteering. But, in my business, I consider Lee Iacocca Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca (born October 15, 1924) is an American industrialist most commonly known for his revival of the Chrysler brand in the 1980s when he was the CEO. Among the most widely recognized businessmen in the world, he was a passionate advocate of U.S. a role model. I've studied him, and I admire his ability to adapt to any situation and to anybody's level, calmly and effectively.'' HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS?: ``Not by your bank account, but by how much you give. I guess that's the bottom line. The more you give, the more successful you are.'' VALLEY HANGOUTS: ``Whatever spare time I have, I like to spend at home with my family. I feel like I don't get to be there enough.'' FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: ``I like biking with my wife - she has a Harley, too, and she rode in the B.A.D. Ride with me. Sometimes we ride to Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. or Ojai. It's nice to get out and get some fresh air.'' WHAT WOULD BE A PERFECT DAY FOR YOU?: ``A day when I get a lot accomplished. A lot of people would say a day at the beach to just relax, but I can't do that. I love getting things done. But I also like for things to go smoothly. A day without crisis management - that would be a perfect day.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Kenneth R. Gerson Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer 
he is in woodland hills hospital,,,, god can save him,,, Please,,,
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