In 2005, David orchestrated the company’s merger with CLS Transportation to form EmpireCLS, the largest merger of its kind within the chauffeured transportation industry. The company has grown to become the largest luxury, chauffeured transportation provider for many Fortune 1000 companies, five-star hotel brands, ultra-high net worth individuals, dignitaries, and the entertainment and music industry. David is involved with a variety of charitable organizations, working with groups like the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, Project Ladybug, the PitCCh In Foundation and Adopt-A-Soldier Platoon. He also increased EmpireCLS’ corporate social responsibility by partnering with ECPAT-USA, the first of its kind by a chauffeured transportation provider to help end commercial exploitation of children. Recognized for his unique and affirming public speaking style, David serves as keynote speaker at many transportation conventions and at motivational speaking engagements around the country. David serves on the board of directors for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Youth Foundation and for many limousine organizations throughout the U.S. He attributes much of his success to the strength and support of his family and his team of dedicated employees.
THE CEO OF EMPIRE CLS WORLDWIDE CHAUFFEURED SERVICES GETS BEHIND THE WHEEL TO SEE WHAT KEEPS HIS COMPANY’S ENGINE RUNNING, ON “UNDERCOVER BOSS,” FRIDAY, JAN. 16
“EmpireCLS” – David Seelinger, Chairman and CEO of EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services, a luxury chauffeured transportation leader that provides services in more than 700 cities worldwide, goes undercover to see if his company is running smoothly, on UNDERCOVER BOSS, Friday, Jan. 16 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Following a 25-year break from chauffeuring, Seelinger finds it’s not as easy as he remembered, and he almost blows a gasket while working beside a dispatcher who doesn’t follow the motto, “the customer is always right.”
David Seelinger is Chairman and CEO, EmpireCLS. EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services, a global transportation leader with high-end clientele, is based in Secaucus, NJ and is a $150 million a year company.
Their clients include some of the most recognized people in the entertainment industry and service more than 700 cities worldwide, including London, Paris, Milan. They transport almost 500,000 people a year to destinations ranging from awards shows to Fortune 500 companies to your own home. He is originally from Erie, Pennsylvania and was bullied a lot as a kid for being overweight – and he developed an addiction to alcohol and drugs. He dropped out of high school in the 9th grade and he attempted suicide. He was hospitalized, went to a psychiatric center and then to rehab and he’s been sober for almost 30 years. He feels that he was given a second chance and is grateful for it.
JONATHAN GEBSER - EDITOR OF THE SLOW WINE GUIDE AND SLOW WINE MAGAZINE - 2015 SLOW WINE US TOUR
New York, December 19, 2014 – Slow Food will debut the new and updated edition of the Slow Wine guide during the 2015 Slow Wine US Tour. With its English-language debut in 2011, Slow Wine, a guide to over 400 of Italy’s best wineries, critiques wine through the perspective of the Slow Food philosophy, believing that wine, just as with food, must be good, clean and fair – not just good. The Slow Wine guide and a selection of its wineries will be holding tasting events for trade and consumers during their annual three city tour, visiting Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City in 2015.
“We think it’s important to highlight how different types of wine exist. Wine is not just a product of a winery, but fruit of a certain soil, a specific climate, and a farming philosophy. With Slow Wine we have changed the way of reviewing wine,” said Giancarlo Gariglio, editor of Slow Wine. Three symbols are used in the guide to evaluate each winery:
- The Snail, the Slow Food symbol, signals a cellar that has distinguished itself through its interpretation of sensorial, territorial, environmental and personal values in harmony with the Slow Food philosophy.
- The Bottle, allocated to cellars that show a consistently high quality throughout their range of wines.
- The Coin, an indicator of great value.
Slow Wine is no longer just a wine guide. In April 2014, Slow Food also launched Slow Wine Magazine, a digital magazine published in English, German and Italian. With six issues a year, the magazine recounts the world of Italian wine with an outlook of the Slow Food philosophy.
The 2015 Slow Wine tour begins in Los Angeles on January 27th, featuring wines from 50+ winemakers from over 15 regions, at Taglyan Complex at 1201 Vine Street. The tour continues in San Francisco on January 29th, where the event will be held at Terra Gallery at 511 Harrison Street. The Slow Wine tour will then conclude in New York City with a two-day showcase on February 2nd and 3rd at the Italian Trade Commission’s new edition of Vino 2015, the leading Italian wine event to be held at New York City’s historic Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Over 65 Slow Wine producers representing 15 regions of Italy will be present among the 200+ vintners, importers and producers’ delegations participating in Vino 2015, Italian Wine Week.
About Slow Wine
The Slow Wine Guide, published by Slow Food Editore (the publishing arm of Slow Food Italy**) adopts a new approach to wine criticism and looks at a variety of factors to evaluate wineries in their entirety, taking into consideration the wine quality, typicity and adherence to terroir, value for money, environmental sensitivity and ecologically sustainable viticultural practices. Slow Wine was conceived to give a realistic snapshot of the current Italian wine landscape. The guide features reviews of 400 different wineries, each one visited by Slow Food experts. It is available for purchase on Amazon.com as well as in select bookstores.
**Slow Food International is a global grassroots organization that envisions a world in which all people can access and enjoy food that is good for them, good for those who grow it and good for the planet. A non-profit member-supported association, Slow Food was founded in Italy in 1989 to counter the rise of fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and to encourage people to be aware about the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
WWW.SLOWWINEMAGAZINE.COM
JAY JOHNSTONE - 37TH ANNUAL JAY JOHNSTONE / LA HABRA ROTARY GOLF TOURNAMENT
Career highlights include:
- As an Angel, he preserved Clyde Wright's no-hitter against the Athletics in the seventh inning by catching a Reggie Jackson fly ball 400 feet from straightaway center field, just in front of the wall (July 3, 1970).
- As a Phillie, he went 7-for-9 in the 1976 National League Championship Series against theCincinnati Reds. However, the Reds swept the Series.
- As a Dodger, he hit a pinch-two run home run in Game Four of the 1981 World Series against theNew York Yankees, the home run rallying the Dodgers from a 6–3 deficit to win 8–7. The victory also enabled the Dodgers to tie the Series at two games each; they won the next two games to win it all.
Clubhouse prankster
He pulled off a number of infamous pranks during his playing days, including placing a soggy brownie inside Steve Garvey's first base mitt, setting teammate's cleats on fire (known as "hot-footing"), cutting out the crotch area of Rick Sutcliffe's underwear, locking Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda in his office during spring training, once dressing up as a groundskeeper and sweeping the Dodger Stadium infield in between innings and then hitting homers the next, nailing teammate's cleats to the floor, and replacing the celebrity photos in manager Lasorda's office with pictures of himself, Jerry Reuss and Don Stanhouse. One time, during pre-game warm ups, he climbed atop the Dodger dugout and, in full game uniform, walked through the field boxes at Dodger Stadium to the concession stand and got a hot dog. He also once dressed up in Lasorda's uniform (with padding underneath) and ran out to the mound to talk to the pitcher while carrying Lasorda's book and a can of Slim Fast.
As a baseball announcer, he once covered a microphone with a scent of stale eggs then proceeded to interview Dave Stewart, Mickey Hatcherand other players.
Many of the pranks, along with other aspects of his career, are described in the books he co-authored with sports columnist Rick Talley –Temporary Insanity, Over the Edge, and Some of My Best Friends Are Crazy.
Appearances outside of baseball
Johnstone appeared in the movie Naked Gun as a member of the Seattle Mariners in a game against the California Angels. Johnstone, who was a left-handed hitter throughout his career, bats right-handed in the movie.
After the Dodgers' 1981 World Series victory, Johnstone and Dodger teammates Rick Monday (with whom he shares a birthday, service in theMarines, and stints with the A's, Cubs, and Dodgers), Jerry Reuss, and Steve Yeager appeared on Solid Gold and sang their own rendition ofQueen's hit, We Are the Champions.