DAVID VINCENT

Vincent holds a BA degree in geology from the University of Rochester. In 1974, while pursuing a career as a FORTRAN computer programmer, Vincent stepped into the operation of a struggling family enterprise in the Duanesburg hamlet. The business was known as Wilber’s Store. Initially expecting a short stint as a grocery and convenience store operator, Vincent grew the enterprise into a chain of six stores in three counties, incorporating in 1989 as Countryside Marts Inc., with Vincent as owner and CEO. All stores were independently owned and operated, and all stores sold gasoline under the Mobil brand. In 2001, Vincent was named Small Business Person of the Year by the Schenectady County Chamber of Commerce, and in the same year his company received an Excellence in Small Business award from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The business was operated continuously until 2013 when most of the locations were sold.