Gary Jaffe Email & Phone Number

Manhattan

Long time position as Executive Manager and Personal Assistant to Linda Chester ended with the necessary closing of the New York office during the pandemic. If you need to reach the agency, please see the CONTACT page here: https://lindachester.com/

New York City

Full time Manager of Word Processing Department. Organized projects on a daily basis, working with 60+ inhouse clients face to face. Oversaw staff and delegated work. Handled any client issues, complaints, requests. Worked closely with other managers to troubleshoot, improve or change current system if necessary.

New York, New York, United States

Part of launch team for specialized musicians booking service. Worked with major producers and contractors in the music industry (concert circuit, Broadway orchestras, classical music venues, as well as commercial jingles, etc.). Our clients were the top of the line musicians in the fields of concert, classical, Broadway, and studio players in the music recording industry as well as jingles for television and radio. We would receive requests from producers and contractors to book jobs ranging anywhere from one musician to very large orchestras. We were given names of preferred players with alternates should the first choices decline the work or not respond. The work was extremely detail oriented and required constant precision to be sure there was never an unbooked or overbooked spot. The work was often time-sensitive and it was necessary to have extraordinary people skills in dealing with artists with highly varying temperments, as well as demanding producers and contractors. I was part of a four person team who created the initial system, working with a then-state-of-the-art specially designed computer system. in order to handle a large database of musicians and their what instrument or instruments they played. I enjoyed this work very much, and left only because I received an offer for a considerable raise in pay from my next company.

New York, New York, United States

First job immediately following college. Began with one shift (Sunday mornings), was given a full time schedule within the first two months and, at the six month point, was promoted to Night Manager (we were a 24 hour service, and I was Manager for the 4 pm to midnight shift). Fielded calls from clients calling to check their messages, callers leaving messages and agents leaving audition or work information for the large client base, a majority of which were in the performing arts industry. Was required to follow each client's individual instructions on how or when to reach them directly when they had professional messages - as well as making sure follow up calls were made until we completed passing on the information. People management skills were of utmost importance as the staff was mainly young people in their 20s, and the client base had a range of personalities from friendly to strictly professional to unpredictable and eccentric. By 1987, I was part of the team that launched a separate "private line" division of the company for clients who wanted more personalized service. They would forward their lines to us whenever they chose, and we'd answer in their name or their company name. Essentially, we served as receptionist for this concierge-type service, for doctors, gallery owners, small businesses, and indivuals who expected personalized focus.