Jo-an Lantz had only just arrived home in Maine from her trip to California for the ASI Power Summit, an event that brings together the top leaders in promo, when word of an unfolding tragedy began to reach her.

There was an active shooter on the loose. He’d opened fire on innocent people in a bowling alley and a bar and grill in Lewiston, ME – the town where Lantz was born and raised, and the headquarters of Geiger (asi/202900), the Top 40 promo distributorship of which she is CEO and president.

Lantz was safe, sheltering in place as instructed at her home. Others weren’t nearly as fortunate. In the end, the shooter killed 18 people – the deadliest mass shooting in Maine’s 203-year history. He later took his own life.

The horror of that October night, says Lantz, is now poised to echo across generations. Nothing “will ever erase the scars that have been created,” she says.

To help restore a sense of normalcy, Geiger hosted a Halloween candy giveaway for the community just days after the shooting. Thousands came.

In this candid and moving talk with ASI Media’s Christopher Ruvo, Lantz discusses the harrowing ordeal that her community has been through. She shares intimately about her personal experience and the experiences of friends and family. She delves into leadership – about having to gather yourself and provide the stability and guidance people need in times of chaotic crisis. And, she reflects on promo – the role it can play in helping create a sense of togetherness in the aftermath of shared tragedy.

What emerges is a picture of a leader, a company and a community that’s shown immense strength and resilience in the face of the unspeakable – a reality embodied by the phrase emblazoned across T-shirts, pins and signs seen around town: “Lewiston Strong.”