St. Lawrence was where Charley MacKenzie '94, M '95 learned to start thinking as an individual. “I realized at one point that you are your own creator, and you've got to take advantage of the opportunities around you,” he says.
Shortly after graduation, Charley co-founded Mackenzie Equity Partners, LLC, a real estate investment company in Maryland that specializes in commercial and residential acquisitions and developments.
“Starting my own company was something I really wanted to do,” he says. “Now, I see a piece of dirt and I can create something from it, or I can recreate something and make it more useful.”
He is also working on launching SMARTBOX, a portable storage company that allows people to store items or have them shipped and delivered, which will rival PODS, U-Haul rentals and other similar companies. “SMARTBOX has satisfied my entrepreneurial side, allowing me to run my own business and giving me the flexibility I want in order to spend more time with my family,” he says.
St. Lawrence was where Charley realized he could go into the world and do anything he wanted, as long as he put his mind to it. As a student, he was an
English major with a writing concentration, and a geography minor. He was founder and editor of both the
Grecian, a bi-annual publication for the Greek system, and
Sidewaves, a student-run magazine devoted to cultural exploration in the
North Country and beyond. Looking back, he recalls,
“St. Lawrence stimulated my mind and provided the platform for me to launch different ideas, and the
professors and staff were there to push me to pursue these endeavors.”
As a recently elected trustee of St. Lawrence, “I have learned so much about the inner workings of a university,” he says. “It's fantastic to have some input and be able to give back to the
community that supported me and made me who I am today.”
Being a trustee gives Charley the chance to come back and visit his alma mater. “I love coming back,” he says.
“The students, faculty and staff are clearly unique compared to any other college I know.”
