2012 Outstanding Achievement Award:

Thom Gonyeau

Principal, Mountain View Group

Thom Gonyeau is co-owner of Mountain View Group and is thrilled to be named the 2012 Outstanding Achievement Award winner.

Not counting the two part-time jobs he held in high school and college, Mountain View was and is Thom’s first and only place of employment spanning 25 years – a rarity in this day. He was born and raised in Schenectady.

Thom began his career as a producer and worked through many positions in the company from business development to general management and Chief Operating Officer. In 2008, he and his business partner purchased the company from the original owner and his role as entrepreneur took off. Mountain View celebrated its 30th anniversary this past year.

Account management and customer delight have always been at the heart of Thom’s passions. He has partnered with customers on communication projects, moving communications, and TV commercials at GE, The Coca-Cola Company, Raytheon Company, various New York State agencies, Stickley, not-for-profit organizations, and educational institutions including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and his alma mater, The College of Saint Rose. Over the years, the resulting work has garnered hundreds of regional, national, and international awards including the CINE Golden Eagle, Telly Awards, League of American Communication Professionals Awards, US International Film and Video Festival, and last but certainly not least … the Ad Club “Betsy” Best of Show.

Thom believes strongly in contributing to and giving back to the community. Currently, he is on the Board of Trustees for the Creative Education Foundation, which sponsors the international CPSI conference. He has served on the executive board of Capital District Community Gardens and on the alumni board at Saint Rose. Thom is a past president of the former Creative Club and enjoyed his tenure as president of the Ad Club, in addition to chairing the NORI Awards as well as its 35th anniversary celebration.

He was honored twice recently by The College of Saint Rose – first on the wall of Communications Notable Alumni in the newly christened Center for Communication and Interactive Media and then as an Alumni of Prominence by the School of Arts & Humanities. Thom was one of Capital District Business Review’s 40 Under Forty designees and was named a Top 100 producer by AV Multimedia Magazine.

When he finds free time outside of Mountain View and his extracurricular activities, Thom looks forward to traveling with his wife, Lacey. He’s an avid runner and tennis player and personally enjoys photography, creative writing, and music / theatre performance. He is certified in and teaches Creative Problem Solving.

Thom is honored and humbled to share this recognition with a long history of Ad Club contributors representing nearly 50 years.

Over the years he has used his musical abilities to raise money and awareness for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Albany Medical Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters and for local food pantries and nursing homes.

Paul resides in Guilderland with his wife Joanne and two daughters, Jessica and Julia.