2008 Most Influential Women Honoree: Vickie Shaffer

On July 18, 2005, Shaffer’s world changed forever when her husband of 17 years, John, and oldest son, Roger Jones, were killed in an airplane crash as they left the Aurora airport on a business trip.

She and youngest son Mike Jones were left to run the family business, North American Marine Industries Inc., a Lampe-based manufacturer of boat docks and lifts.

“All I wanted to do is crawl into a hole,” Shaffer says. “I didn’t want to go on.”

But the responsibility of a company and its employees gave her a purpose.

“I always tried to instill a positive attitute, evenwhen the going was tough,” she says.

Before the accident, Shaffer had been secretary and treasurer and took care of the computer system. Now she was CEO, working 10- to 14-hour days.

Shaffer doesn’t know how she managed to move forward, but perseverance isn’t new to her.

After finishing high school through night classes, getting married, having two children, divorcing and remarrying, Shaffer graduated at age 45 from Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems.

It took five years of going to school part-time and working full-time to finish.

Never having experienced a high school graduation ceremony, Shaffer reveled in achieving a college degree.

“It’s one of my proudest accomplishments,” she says.

Keeping the family business afloat despite the loss of her husband, who was the president, and her son, who was the vice president of operations, is another.

“This was a double loss, at home and at the business,” Shaffer says. “There was no place to go that the impact of the loss wasn’t felt every minute of the day.”

She credits her ability to foster teamwork, her close relationship with her son, and the support of friends and employees as some of the reasons she and Mike were able to keep North American Marine going.

“We had everything invested in the business, as well as the livelihood of the all the employees, so quitting was not an option,” Shaffer says.

North American Marine has grown 25 percent each year since the Shaffers purchased it in 2002, and its territory has expanded into 16 states from four.

As Shaffer transitioned into the role of CEO, focusing on internal operations, son Mike moved into position as president.

“(We talked constantly ... and worked endless hours tyring to get a handle on the business,” she says. “It was a daunting task to say the least.”

But Shaffer has never regretted keeping the business.?“John and Roger would be proud of us,” she says. “They really would.”

Name an influential woman, living or dead, you’d like to meet. Why?

Eleanor Roosevelt. She was ahead of her time, and if she ran for president today she would win. She was a very strong and intelligent lady who was very influential in human rights on the home front as well as internationally at the United Nations.

What advice do you have for young women just getting started professionally?

Work hard and gain all the knowledge and experience possible, and listen to those more experienced.

As a young girl, what were your career aspirations?

My parents divorced, so my goal was to have a happy, unbroken home. That went by the wayside, so my next goal was to be the best mother possible.

What celebrity have others compared you to, or do you identify with?

Jean Carnahan. She lost her husband and son in an airplane crash and had to keep everything going on the business front. I really respect her because she was in the public eye, which I was not. I think that made the tragedy more difficult for her to bear as a wife and mother.

Tell us about your family.

My late husband, John Shaffer III, and I were married for almost 18 wonderful years. He was the best thing that ever happened to my sons, Roger and Michael Jones, and me. He had a daughter and a son, Cori and Michael Shaffer.

Web Exclusive: What hobby has Vickie taken up in honor of her late son?

Answer: Scuba diving. “I dive every chance I get, because I feel close to Roger when I am down there,” she says. [[In-content Ad]]