by Allison Counasse
Nick Scott Jr. is an Erie business leader whose passion for the hospitality industry consistently has a positive impact on Northwestern Pennsylvania. Scott has put his Bachelor of Science in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management from The Pennsylvania State University to good use. As vice president of Scott Enterprises, Scott is at the forefront of the region’s hospitality industry. He, along with his brother Chris and his father Nick Sr., is in charge of operations and development at their third-generation family-owned hospitality business.
With Scott’s assistance in strategic planning, Scott Enterprises has successfully expanded into twenty locations with four additional properties under development. Many of the most recognizable hospitality brands in the Erie region are members of the Scott Enterprises family, including Applebee’s, Boston’s, Damon’s, Quaker Steak and Lube, Safari Grille, Steak-n-Shake, Comfort Inn, Courtyard, Days Inn, Econo Lodge, Holiday Inn Express, Motel 6, Residence Inn, Splash Lagoon Indoor Water Park Resort, Lazer Tag and The Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center.
Scott was instrumental in developing The Ambassador Banquet and Conference Center and Splash Lagoon. These projects brought new and exciting concepts to Erie and have helped retain, as well as attract, visitors and business to the region.
If strategic planning and development weren’t enough to fill his work schedule, Scott also helps to lead a team of 120 managers and 1,300 associates in the company’s daily operations. His philosophy is to “Learn to lead not manage.” Scott works to recruit new executives to Erie and develops new business leaders from within Scott Enterprises.
Scott is known throughout the community and his company for his philanthropy and compassion. A as just one example, Scott has donated hundreds of complimentary passes for Splash Lagoon to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He has also led the new “We Promise to Care” campaign for Scott Enterprises, which emphasizes key parts of the company’s mission statement. And, when a tragic accident took the lives of two Scott Enterprises employees, Scott not only donated the meeting area and refreshments for the memorial service, but also arranged for grief counselors to assist the affected associates.
Scott’s philanthropy extends from charitable donations to community service and volunteer work. He actively volunteers on several boards and supports the community in a variety of civic-minded ways. Scott serves on the Hamot Health Foundation board of trustees and the Hamot Medical Center board of directors; as a Member of the board of directors and executive committee of the Council of Fellows at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; on The Community Fund Drives Committee; and on the Scott Enterprises Care Committee. He also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity and the City Mission. In addition, he is a member of Leadership Erie.
One of the most interesting personal aspects of Scott is how his long-time dedication to soccer has manifested in remarkable ways. As a walk-on for the Penn State Men’s Soccer Team in 1991, Scott worked hard to secure a position on the team. Not only did his love of the game and determination earn him a coveted spot, but he scored the winning –and only– goal when the Nittany Lions won their first Big Ten Soccer Championship in 1993. Since then, Scott has arranged to underwrite the tuition for a stellar Cathedral Prep soccer player so that the student could have the best opportunities for college athletic scholarships. Scott further passes on his enthusiasm for soccer by volunteering as a coach for his son’s soccer team.
Nick Scott Jr. and his wife Karen reside in Fairview with their three children: Nicholas, Will and Zach. They are expecting a new baby in June.
