My husband, Michael E. Altabef (1957–2015) worked for twenty years for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange.  Beginning March 1989, the month our daughter was born, and ending the year NASDAQ purchased it in 2009.  While at PHLX, he was instrumental in building a national organization that created a space for the highly competitive American Stock Exchanges to work together.  It was seven years in the making.

As he put it, “I served as Committee Chairman for a combined technical and business effort among the exchanges to create a common link.”

Through his leadership, he did what no one had done before, encouraged the most bloodthirsty competitors in the nation to work together for the good of the whole.  Through this work for the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, Michael became a true peacemaker in the least likely of places—on Wall St!

He was a self-taught, professional-level rock guitarist and, during this time WXPN radio on Walnut Street, started their “Free at Noon” concerts.  Every Friday at noon from the first show till he left Philly in 2009, Michael spent his lunch hour front and center at that week’s concert, never missed one.