E arlier in her life, Henny braved challenges that could have caused her to face the world with trepidation. Born into the heart of the Great Depression, she was orphaned when she was 12-years-old; then she and her four other sisters moved in with her oldest and newly married sister. Instead, these events shaped how she approached life—fearless, tenacious, and driven.
There wasn’t money for college, but the pretty brunette had a sharp mathematical mind, an almost photographic memory, and innate business sense. After graduating high school, she landed a bookkeeping job in the heart of New York’s Garment District. Soon the 5-foot-tall Henny was supervising 20 people. She quickly developed a reputation among the other workers: she was tough but fair.
When Henny was 23, she wed Jay Gordon and they were soon proud parents of two sons, Jeff and Alan. Jay’s career as a Doctor of Podiatry bloomed and the family migrated to neighboring Westchester County. For a few short years, Henny’s focus was on being a wife and mother.
T hen in 1960, heartache struck again when Henny’s sister, closest in age to her, died. Henny went through a sad and restless time; she was unable to concentrate. Her doctor had an unusual prescription: she should find a job to help occupy her keen mind.
She read of an employment agency for sale and she catapulted into a new role as owner of the Northern Westchester Employment Agency. At first, she was a one-woman show: screening potential candidates, administering clerical tests, meeting current clients and potential customers, and doing all the administrative functions.
Under her guidance, the company thrived as Henny gradually built her team. The employees dubbed her a “dynamo.” She mentored, nurtured, and sometimes challenged them to be the best they could be. In the 1980’s, Henny recruited her sons, Jeff, and then later Alan, to join her in running the business.