Ted Ventresca is president and chief operating officer at Chemeon Surface Technology, a global leader in developing corrosion protection and surface finishing solutions to replace the known carcinogen hexavalent chrome.
Ted spent much of his career in New York City and Washington D.C., where his international media work with industry, government, media, and commercial entities now supports the future vision and growth of Chemeon.
How did you get your start in the finishing industry?
Chemeon ownership asked me to consider applying my management expertise in marketing, communication, and sales to the chemical manufacturing and metal finishing space.
What do you enjoy best about the industry?
The opportunity for innovation, collaboration, and the people.
You had a serious auto accident a few years ago; how did that change your view of life?
I truly appreciate and enjoy every single moment. I strive to be “present” and never take for granted the fragile and fleeting nature of life.
You had a great and long career in radio and music; what did you like best about that part of your life?
The creative and exciting environment that came from interacting with colleagues and brilliant musicians/entertainers around the world; event/content development and storytelling.
If money was no object, what would you do all day?
Kayak, travel with my wife and dogs, devote more time to charitable programs, write and develop podcasts.
If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?
Pompeii around 78 A.D. I would like to see it without all the dust.
How would your friends describe you?
Talented, loyal, empathetic, funny, and positive.
What are your hobbies?
Kayaking, collecting vintage microphones, radios, mid-century furniture/art, and antique armillary/sundials.
What is the best gift you have been given?
My wife saying ‘yes’ when I asked her to marry me.
Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without?
The pandemic and quarantine have identified a lot of things we can go without; the one thing I could not go a day without is the interaction and conversation with my wife and access to pasta. I am Italian.
Two pet peeves?
Littering and people not being courteous
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I love what I am doing, the people I work with, and where we live; I intend to continue the grow the company and update you in five years.
If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have?
Let’s see, we already are “Super protectors of light metals against corrosion” — I had to get a plug in there! Personally, my superpower would be to emit an ultraviolet light that kills viruses and leaves everyone with a healthy and safe tan. A win/win! A pandemic certainly evokes different responses.
What would you do if you won the lottery?
I’d continue working, pay off any debt, put aside something to live comfortably, and create a foundation for S.T.E.M., art, and music education for children.
What’s your favorite zoo animal?
Zoos have come a long way from the caged confinement animals were subject to in past centuries. So the mental stress animals endured under those conditions have been lessened considerably, which is good news. Great apes and monkeys because you gotta love and respect our living ancestors. The horror they still endure at the hands of humans is sad and atrocious.
If you could go back in time to change one thing, what would it be?
I could name a dozen, but changing something from the past then alters the consistency of what has happened since. So, even though the instinct is to go back and save a life, stop war or catastrophe, you realize that everything that resulted — good, bad, different — from that moment would then be forever altered. So I hesitate to change anything in the world or my own life.
Would you rather trade intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence?
If intelligence and looks were on the dinner menu, I’d ask for an equal helping of both.
What’s your favorite holiday
Hannukah. I’m not Jewish, but that gift a day for eight nights is pretty awesome.
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
Leaving the entertainment industry to run a chemical company.
What was the last thing you watched on T.V.?
Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
What was the last book you read?
The Age of Living Machines by Susan Hockfield.
What’s your favorite type of foreign food?
Italian.
Are you a clean or messy person?
Clean.
Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
Orson Welles.
What’s your favorite fast-food chain?
When I was in the Washington, D.C. area, I knew the brothers who created Five Guys and was a fan of their ambition, business model, and fries. Moving West, hands down, it has to be In-and-Out. However, any New York City Pizza Parlor would be my ultimate preference. I’m hungry just responding to this.
What’s your favorite family recipe?
My mother in law’s recipe for brisket; the secret involves adding coffee! Shhhh.
What’s your favorite family tradition?
Weekend dinners with extended family.
What is your favorite childhood memory?
Watching the first moon landing with my parents. July 20 was my mother’s birthday, and I distinctly remember that while we were watching the moon landing, I was holding a metal part that my Uncle Bill had given to me the week before. He was a master jeweler who was recruited by R.C.A. to design metal parts for the space program. He said the part he gave me was made for use on the lunar module. I have that part sitting on my desk at C.H.E.M.E.O.N. I think it’s 2024 aluminum. Life certainly is full circle.
What’s your favorite movie?
I happen to be part of Nevada’s largest film festival, the Cordillera International Film Festival, and this exact question has been raised. My answer is consistent: Citizen Kane; the screenplay, cinematography, and the back story of all that it took to get the movie made and ultimately released.
