By Tony Ferullo
Mission Driven
When Tom Demakes, MBA ’13, informed his three sons—Elias, MBA ’12; Timothy, MBA ’13; and Andrew, MBA ’12—that they all needed to get master’s degrees if they wanted to continue working in the family business, they were not really surprised. Their father had long stressed the value of education as the best way to get ahead in life, no matter your age.
What did surprise them, however, was the news that their father, then in his mid-60s, would be joining them at Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School.
“They would sit on one side of the class, and I would sit on the other,” recalls Tom Demakes, president of Old Neighborhood Foods in Lynn, a meat-manufacturing company established in 1914 by his grandfather. “They didn’t want anyone to know that they were going to school with their dad,” he chuckles.
Father and sons not only all went on to earn their MBAs, but they also grew to admire their Suffolk professors and classmates.
“It was a great opportunity for all of us to bond together and interact with other professionals,” says Andrew, director of operations for Old Neighborhood Foods. “We met a lot of wonderful people that we were able to learn from and network with.”
Tom—who got his start in the family business at age 5, sweeping sawdust from the factory floor—was struck by the students’ work ethic. “They were all working during the day and going to school at night,” he says. “Everyone was there to learn and grow as much as they could in order to educate themselves and go on to have a good future.”
Demakes took such a liking to one of those students, Jeremy Hmura, MBA, MSA ’12, that he hired him as his company’s CFO. “I knew he was smart and hard working, and that was good enough for me,” he says.
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Investing in the future
Now Tom Demakes and his family are investing in other smart, hard-working students. Last fall, they pledged $250,000 to create the The Demakes Family Undergraduate Scholarship, which will be awarded to undergraduate Business School students from Lynn who have financial need.
“I want these students to continue their education, get good jobs, and become productive citizens in society,” Tom says. “That’s what the world is all about.”
“The Demakes family’s philanthropic support exemplifies their longstanding commitment to Lynn and their respect for the University’s mission,” says Sawyer Business School Dean Amy Zeng.
“Their timely and generous gift will enable a number of students from Lynn to continue their educational journey here, while opening new opportunities for more students from Lynn to pursue a Suffolk education.”
“It’s a very rewarding experience to give someone an opportunity to pursue their dreams,” says Andrew, who is a member of the Sawyer Business School Dean’s Cabinet, a group of the Business School’s most loyal and generous donors. He cites the family’s unofficial mottoes: “It’s good to help people who need help more than you,” and “to whom much is given, much is expected.”
That help first began in 2017, when the Demakes family endowed a scholarship for MBA students from Lynn with financial need. Last fall, Tom Demakes made an additional $50,000 gift toward this scholarship.
And for decades, the Demakes family has supported local organizations in Lynn, including the Demakes Family YMCA, the Agganis Foundation, Girls, Inc., and Kipp Academy.
“I believe that you have to keep paying it forward as much as possible,” Tom says. “No matter what you do, what counts is that you make a difference.”
“I believe that you have to keep paying it forward as much as possible,” Tom says. “No matter what you do, what counts is that you make a difference.”
– Tom Demakes
Brothers and Sawyer Business School classmates (from left) Timothy, Andrew, and Elias Demakes at Old Neighborhood Foods in Lynn, Massachusetts. Photography by Adam DeTour
Marill and Tom Demakes.
