Get to Know: David Huesser

Being a mall manager doesn’t mean David Huesser gets a discount to every store. But he loves his job anyway.

Huesser, a native of New Jersey, has been the manager of Summit Mall for two years. He moved to Fairlawn shortly after the front of the mall was remodeled.

Before working in Fairlawn he managed malls in Illinois, North Carolina and Toronto, Canada.

“Malls are where the hub of action is in a community,” Huesser said. “Each retailer understands their obligation to the community as a whole.”

Huesser’s job is to oversee the day-to-day operations and staff of the shopping center. He also has the responsibility of finding new stores for the mall.

“I love talking to people about their businesses,” Huesser said. “Who doesn’t love talking about their successes?”

Currenty, he's making an effort to bring in local retailers to Summit Mall. One of these is The Rail, a gourmet burger restaurant based in Wooster. The Rail will open at Summit Mall this summer.

“It’s important that we stay in touch with our community and find those local businesses,” Huesser said. “They are just as valuable and sophisticated as national retailers.”

Although the local stores are important to Huesser, his favorite store at the mall is a national chain:

“I get a café Americana or a skinny vanilla latte,” Huesser said. “Starbucks is a lot of people’s favorite spot.”

When he is not at the mall, Huesser enjoys hiking and reading.

He said he is constantly challenging himself each day to provide better service than they day before. That's his goal outside the mall, two.

“In life, you want to constantly grow, be challenged and improve,” he said. “Whether it’s being a better listener, or being more informed about your community and the world.”