This is the sixth in a series of articles showing the impact of the nation's job crisis on the people of the North Country.
Tomorrow: Loss of Georgia-Pacific job puts local man behind a desk at college.
LAKE PLACID — After 21 years at the Lake Placid/Essex County Visitors Bureau, Kathy Berghorn heard words she never expected.
Downsizing in November 2009, the Visitors Bureau cut her job as Web site content manager.
Berghorn thought it was a bad dream, at first.
The cut came just before Thanksgiving, and it took a few weeks for reality to sink in.
"I was surprised. It was like an overwhelmed feeling of, what's next?"
GREW WITH OFFICE
Berghorn was first hired as an administrative assistant for the Visitors Bureau through a grant from Franklin and Essex counties to create centralized reservation services.
By the early 1990s, she was director of operations, building reservation systems that serve the busy tourism destination of Lake Placid.
"When I first started working, there was an old IBM computer," she laughed. "You could build the file, go get a cup of tea and come back; processing still wouldn't be done."
Computer systems changed rapidly into the 21st century. So did the job, and so did Berghorn.
"I loved every time it enhanced," she said.
WORKING FROM HOME
Over the last several years, Berghorn had formed a satellite office and "telecommuted," meaning she worked for the Visitors Bureau from her house.
"The amount of work I could accomplish in a given day was immense," she said of switching to an office at home.
"I like the busy-bee work best — database input, spreadsheets, managing Web-based applications and working with the membership so they could learn how to interact online."
'ECONOMIC JOLT'
Then came the unexpected layoff last November.
Berghorn was concerned about projects under way.
"I knew there was a lot of work to be done that other people had to absorb."
And she had to figure out her future.
"Everybody asked, 'Well, what do you like doing?' I said, 'I liked what I was doing.'
Berghorn decided to find a way to do the same type of work.
"It was a real economic jolt trying to figure it all out at first. But I've got commitments and responsibilities, and I had to take action.
"It's been a roller coaster of emotions, but at the same time you can't sit and dwell on it."
She took stock of her own talents anddrew strength from words her mother used to say: "Everything is a blessing in disguise."
Berghorn recognized an opportunity when the Department of Labor offered her a seat in their Self-Employment Training Program.
The acceptance letter for admission arrived just after Christmas.
"Right away, I started taking online courses in Web site development; now I'm taking a class in individual excellence. We are also required to complete 20 hours of small-business training."
MIX OF EMOTIONS
Remapping a career has its ups and downs.
"There are days when I feel like I need a hug. Other days, I need a kick in the pants," Berghorn smiled.
She and her husband, Chuck, have one son, Bryan, an up-and-coming bobsled driver who trains at the Olympic Training Center.
They adjusted to job loss as many families have since the start of the Great Recession.
"You stop doing a lot of things, no extra shopping, you don't go out to dinner as often," Berghorn said.
"But I have no intention of moving (from the area), at this point in my life. I started working summers in Lake Placid through college, and I didn't know enough to leave then. We're not leaving now."
STARTING A BUSINESS
Berghorn has her sights fixed on starting a business as a virtual assistant. It's a new field, and she already built an office at home.
Through small-business development support, she is drafting financial and marketing plans, pooling experience drawn from her years at the Visitors Bureau.
Thus, AdkOffice is being born.
Her company will provide database management, Web development, order entry and research, along with many other administrative tasks.
"There will be more and more of this type of work here; I just want to get there first."
GET STARTED
Berghorn is learning that everything doesn't have to be perfect to start.
"It's more important to just get started. Don't wait for everything to be perfect before you do it."
E-mail Kim Smith Dedam at: kdedam@pressrepublican.com
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