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As the condolences rolled in, the indefatigable and larger-than-life industry leader was most fondly remembered for being a mentor (and did indeed serve as a mentor for the Chauffeur Driven Show), a genuine inspiration, and a true friend armed with a joke or three, always ready to make someone laugh.
Those who knew him well understood that he had two speeds: fast and faster. As the figurehead of ETS, the company that he founded with his brother Peter, he described his role as a “whirlwind of sales meetings, phone calls, association meetings, charitable outings, chamber of commerce appearances, and industry events,” adding that he loved every minute of it.
The company is very much a family-run business, literally and figuratively: it has included both Peter and Johnny’s children in various capacities over the years, and the affable president considered the entire ETS team his extended family.
The self-described sports junkie was a loyal fan of the Boston teams—everything from golf to boxing to hockey—and he was often seen donning the jersey of his beloved Bruins or a Patriots cap. If you were lucky enough to visit his office, nearly every wall and shelf space was covered with sports memorabilia from his favorite moments.
Greene, a contributing writer for Chauffeur Driven, wrote candidly about his 2014 motorcycle accident that left him with a broken shoulder and several fractured vertebrae, as well as nerve damage that would impair his ability to use his right arm—all while running a thriving 75-vehicle operation with his brother. The accident meant several days in the hospital, several months of rehab, numerous surgeries to help correct the nerve damage—and a lot of time on bedrest stewing in a cocktail of pain killers. Through the ordeal, it never shattered his spirit as he faced the challenges head-on with the positive attitude he always exuded.
In addition to his brothers Peter and Kevin and sister Donna, Greene is survived by his son Cory and daughters Ashley and Kelsey, and many nieces and nephews. Visiting hours are from 4 pm to 8 pm on Friday, October 28, and a Celebration of Life service will begin at 9:15 am on Saturday, October 29, both at the Keohane Funeral Home in Quincy, Mass. More details can be found here: keohane.com/services/john-m-greene.
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HALCA President Wes Hart of American Corporate Transportation kicked off the meeting, which covered topics ranging from industry-specific updates to regional goings-on.
With Super Bowl LI taking place at Houston’s NRG Stadium in February 2017, it’s never too early to begin planning event transportation and parking details, both of which were on the evening’s docket.
“The urgent thing to know is that if you’re planning to come to Houston for the Super Bowl, you’ll have to have a license for your chauffeur and a fingerprint background check, and you will have to have your vehicle permitted,” Hart said. “The licensing and permit process will take a month, and they will tow your vehicle if you’re not properly licensed.”
A new city-wide app, Arro, is set to launch in Houston, and was also a topic of conversation. Arro hails itself as offering “Your Taxi, Your Way” and aims to connect passengers with licensed taxicab operators in the city, as it has for riders in New York City, Chicago, and Boston.
Two presentations were also part of the meeting: Tarek Mallah and Gregg Haroutunian of Karhoo were both on hand to discuss how the ride comparison app has been serving a European market and is beginning to extend its reach into the U.S.; and HALCA Director Jon “Younes” Ouazdi of TransGates Limousine spoke about the already-implemented and upcoming changes to the association’s website.
With the City Mandated VFH Data Submission reports due soon, the conversation inevitably gravitated to the new requirements mandated by the revised Chapter 46 ordinance—which are presenting a challenge to Houston-area operators.
“The mandate threw a wrench in everything: You’ll lose your permit to operate if you don’t complete the forms,” Hart explained. “A lot of companies got a waiver for the past two years, but now they’re not issuing waivers after January 1. So after the end of the first quarter of 2017, you have 20 days to submit it or you lose your license. They want to know what zip codes you do pickups in, what your revenue was—a lot of competitive information. This is one of the things we want to take to City Council, and we’ve started increasing awareness of it because when April 20 comes, we don’t want so see everyone’s permits being taken away.”
HALCA’s elections will take place November 10, which is the final membership meeting of the year. The association’s holiday party is currently slated for December 11.
Visit houstonlimos.info for more information.
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CD’s Industry & Brand Ambassador Philip Jagiela and Business Development Manager Rickie Roberts were among those who attended the first-time event, and represented Chauffeur Driven at its vendor station.
The day kicked off with an Executive Board meeting to discuss association matters before launching into a meeting packed with information benefiting all attendees. With more than a dozen vendors showcasing their services, products, and vehicles, the event also included a four-person panel discussion with Richard Ackerman of P.A. Post Agency, LANJ Second Vice President Jeff Brodsly of Chosen Payments, Mark Leddy of Cadillac Professional Vehicles (also the main event sponsor), and Chris McCrae of Karhoo. LANJ President Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Chauffeured Services Worldwide moderated the panel, which occupied much of the event and allowed each panelist to speak to their strengths and offer advice according to their areas of expertise.
Representatives from platinum sponsors Cadillac Professional Vehicles, Chosen Payments, Complete Fleet Livery Sales, iCARS, T-Mobile, and Vehicle Tracking Solutions were also awarded plaques to thank them for their part in keeping LANJ a successful, 135-person association that can keep fighting for the industry on a statewide level.
Toward the end of the meeting, Jagiela and Roberts raffled off a pass to the soon-approaching 2016 CD Show, which heads to Washington, D.C. this weekend. Beverly Armstead of Execu-Car of New Jersey was the lucky winner.
The next general LANJ meeting will be November 14 in Atlantic City.
Visit lanj.org for more information.
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