JOHN D. SAGENDORF
General Manager
Howe Caverns, Inc.

John Sagendorf, General Manager of Howe Caverns, Inc., was born and raised on a dairy farm adjacent to Howe Caverns. Like many other young folks growing up in the area, he worked at Howe Caverns summers and weekends while attending high school and college at SUNY Cobleskill.

To continue his education, Mr. Sagendorf left the area for the University of Denver, Colorado where he holds a degree in Business Administration with a major in Hospitality Administration.
After 27 years as an executive with ARAMARK Corporation, Mr. Sagendorf retired and returned to Schoharie County in 1993 as the Assistant General Manager, member of the Board of Directors and Corporate Secretary of Howe Caverns, Inc., succeeding to his current role as General Manager, Director and Secretary in 1996.

Mr. Sagendorf and his family have a long history at Howe Caverns, as it was his grandfather and great uncle who were two of the founders and officers of Howe Caverns, Inc., formed in 1927 for the purpose of developing and re-opening the Caverns for public view in 1929. The land where the Howe Caverns Visitors Center is located today, and much of the surrounding property owned by Howe Caverns, was once part of the Sagendorf family farm established more than 250 years ago.

In addition to his role as General Manager, director and officer of Howe Caverns, Inc., Mr. Sagendorf is active in his community as well as the tourism industry. His service has involved membership on the Boards and various committees of Bassett Hospital of Schoharie County in Cobleskill; Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce where he was president and Tourism Committee chair; Leatherstocking Country NY Tourism Region. Current services includes Albany County Convention and Visitors Bureau; SKAL International - Albany; SUNY Cobleskill Foundation; Hospitality and Tourism Advisory Council at SUNY Cobleskill; New York State Travel and Vacation Association; and the Upstate New York Tourism Alliance. Mr. Sagendorf is a member and trustee of the Barnerville United Methodist Church and chairs its administrative board.

In 2003 Mr. Sagendorf was elected the 23rd president of the National Caves Association (NCA), headquartered in Park City, Kentucky. Mr. Sagendorf's two-year term expires in 2005, the 40th anniversary of the NCA.

In 2001, Mr. Sagendorf was honored with an appointment by Governor Pataki to the New York State Tourism Advisory Council. He was also elected to the 2002 Vice Presidency of the National Caves Association, of which Howe Caverns is a member. And, at the New York State Governor's Conference on Tourism Mr. Sagendorf was awarded the I Love New York Matching Funds Hospitality Award on behalf of Howe Caverns for the company's contribution and commitment to employee training and guest satisfaction within the service industry.

In 2000 he received the Distinguished Alumni award from SUNY Cobleskill and was named to the State University of New York Alumni Honor Roll. In 1998 Mr. Sagendorf had the honor of being selected as the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year.